Memories
by Foxibabz21
Summary: One-shots, involving senshi/shitennou, usagi/mamoru (mostly senshi/shitennou). Ratings will vary depending on chapter so please read author's note beforehand!
1. Ghost

AN: I do not own Sailor Moon! First and last time I say this!

This is where I will put all my one-shots and drabbles involving the senshi/shitennou and usage/mamoru! Each story will have a different rating, so please read that before venturing into the story in case you get worried about those!

This is T bordering on M because of character deaths. Nothing too graphic though, promise!

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_I keep going to the river to pray_

'_Cause I need something that can wash all the pain_

_And at most I'm sleeping all these demons away_

_But your ghost, the ghost of you_

_It keeps me awake _– "Ghost" by Ella Henderson

The soft crunch of the leaves beneath her feet was the only sound she heard as she walked aimlessly. It was a cold, bitter day in January. This time around she had the good sense to bundle up, unlike last time. She had wandered around, lost in thought, and only noticed the sting of the cold when someone had broken her musings, asking her if she was ok. They must have thought her insane, walking around in the snow without a coat.

She kept walking now, moving almost mechanically as her thoughts swirled around her. Her breath came out in little white puffs and she smiled bitterly. Even out here, she could get no reprieve from him. Everywhere she looked, she was reminded of him. She was surprised to feel the sting of something cold and wet on her cheeks. At first she thought it had started to snow, but when she brought her gloved hands up she saw them flecked with wetness. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized she'd been crying. The tears started flowing freely then, making her vision blurry as she trotted along. She didn't even bother wiping them away as she had no energy to bother with them.

The wind picked up then, as if gliding her a certain way, it's persistent push egging her forward. She barely felt the biting cold now, the numbness she felt inside blocking anything else out. Today had been one of those days- the harder ones where her body moved on autopilot. She had woken up around 4:20 from a nightmare that hadn't been a nightmare at all, just a horrible memory of a life before.

When the memories of the Silver Millennium began to surface for all of them (minus Minako, who had gone through it all awhile back) the emotions that came with them had been confusing. All of them had dealt with it differently. Rei had shut everyone out, saying she was busy running the shrine. Makoto had been prone to outbursts. It'd turned into a guessing game to see if she was going to burst into tears or angrily shout until her voice became too hoarse to continue. As for herself, she wasn't quite sure she hadn't gone insane. She tried throwing herself at her schoolwork, but ended up turning into a zombie. Sleepless nights had been her friend, and they still were, to some extent, even after a year had passed. As were days like today- random wanderings around town, in the bitter cold to numb herself from it all.

No one should have to relive their own death, especially at the hands of the one you once loved. She stopped abruptly, her breathing becoming uneven as the memories threatened to overwhelm her. She crouched low, closing her eyes tightly as if to ward off the pain. She felt a panic attack bubbling at the surface. But today, today she would not let it win. Taking a shaky breath, she opened her eyes slowly. Her navy blue eyes focused on a brittle leaf a few inches away. She took a bigger breath this time, gulping it in like it was her only lifeline. Her lungs complained as the cold air assaulted them, but the twisted person inside of her enjoyed it. It meant she was still alive, still breathing. She stayed like that for a little while, her breathing finally returning to normal.

She wasn't sure when she stood up, but she did. She glanced at a tree in passing, but her eyes caught on the lone leaf. The tree had been stripped of its leaves, scattered all around its base, the crisp brown ones dancing slowly with the wind. But her eyes had remained on the single green leaf, barely holding on to the branch. Leaf green eyes surrounded by strawberry blonde curls flashed in her mind. She tore her eyes away from the leaf and continued to walk.

The first memory she had of him had trickled in one day when it had begun to rain while she'd been walking to her car. She had stood their, soaking wet while her mind replayed her first encounter with the youngest shitennou. It had been her night to watch Princess Serenity. She had chased the young monarch all the way to the planet Terra, as it was known back then. Sailor Venus had warned her about the princess's flightiness and her ability to suddenly disappear but she hadn't believed it until she had seen it with her own eyes.

She had teleported into some type of rose garden, with the princess nowhere in sight. She had paused in her search from the shock of the multitude of vegetation, the feel of the soft wind, the intoxicating scents of the flowers surrounding her, and the sheer colors shocking her senses. She had studied Terra, but she hadn't believed the stories. The Moon Kingdom was beautiful in it's own right, but it was barren of all these things. The air stood still there, nothing like the breeze that tickled her skin and ruffled up her hair. White surrounded the Moon Kingdom, bleached of any color or vegetation. Mercury had been similar, but where the moon had been white from dust, stone, and lack of sustainable life outside of the Lunarians, Mercury had been covered in snow and ice. Not a lot grew in those subzero temperatures, and the things that did paled in comparison to what Terra had.

Mercury had two seasons, winter and summer. Mercury's summers melted the ice and snow, leaving a planet covered almost all in water. Her people had lived in the highest of mountains because of these two extremes. Her musings had been interrupted by a loud, grumbling noise coming from Terra's heavens. She had jumped, a small squeak escaping her lips as she uneasily glanced upwards.

"Don't be afraid, it's only thunder. Have you never heard it before?" Came a cautious, male voice to the left of her. She immediately dropped to a defensive position, studying the man in front of her. He had on a fern colored military coat with gray trimmings, gray breeches, and black boots. Billowing behind him was a port and white colored cape. A sheathed sword was visible on his left hip. His military garb, coupled with the way he held himself, meant he was an important soldier. By the looks of it, he belonged to the royal guard.

She had heard of thunder from Sailor Jupiter, whose home planet was famous for it, but she had never experienced it first hand. "Who are you?" She asked, ignoring his question all together.

His leaf green eyes danced with mirth. "If I'm not mistaken, it is you who is trespassing in the prince's private gardens. Therefore, you have no right in demanding anything." She would've been taken aback by his rude tone if not for the smile playing at his lips.

She was going to reprimand Princess Serenity if she ever caught her! Not only had she broken her mother's cardinal rule of not visiting Terra, but she'd also been running around their royalty's palace. Not wanting to start a war out of a simple misunderstanding, she eased out of her defensive position. "I'm sorry. It seems I have stumbled upon this place by mistake."

"Not likely. One doesn't simply stumble upon this place." He stood at ease, with his arms folded across his chest. He took in her appearance, his eyes resting on her exposed legs. She felt her whole face heat up. When he finally locked eyes with her again, her whole body felt flushed. "You're obviously not from here. Women tend not to wear outfits like those here. Shame, really." He grinned at her.

She narrowed her eyes at him. She wasn't sure if she could trust him. She needed to slip past him, find her princess, and get out of here before they caused any more trouble. "I seemed to have misplaced something, so I'll be on my way now." She tried moving past him but he blocked her path.

"Ah, let's not make this more difficult than it has to be. I can easily call for the guards and you'll be arrested and thrown in the dungeons. I assume that's something you wouldn't want happening." His features remained soft, but his voice held a hint of steel behind it. "I know you're one of those senshi's that protects the Lunar princess."

She tried not to show the surprise that she felt from his words. Apparently she hadn't done a good job because he smiled smugly at her. Her hands twitched as she readied her attack. He was a threat to her princess and she needed to get rid of him quickly. With a swift flick of her wrist, she sent an ice dagger towards the strawberry blonde man. He narrowly dodged her attack, landing on his butt in his haste to get away from the flying projectile.

She ignored his cries of outrage and ran, trying to put some distance between them two. She heard him giving chase and took a sharp right, hopping to get lost in the sea of flowers. She turned around to see if she lost her would be capture and saw him perform an impressive hurdle over the bushes in his path. She saw him pull something glittery out of an inside pocket and quickly threw herself to the ground. She heard the knife whizzing past her a second later. She hastily scrambled up and took off again. She hadn't gotten very far when she felt something wrap around her right ankle and then her legs flew from underneath her. She fell hard to the ground, a little oof escaping her lips. Her hands stung from the impact, but better her hands than her face.

She felt large hands grab her shoulders roughly and turn her upwards. She tried fighting him but stopped abruptly as soon as she felt him straddle her. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise and her cheeks flushed crimson at the indecent position he had her in. Her mind barely registered how he grabbed both her wrists and it took her another second to realize he'd imprisoned her with something. Her eyes flitted to the object, what looked like crystal shackles, and then back to his arrogant face.

She had the sudden urge to wipe the smirk off his face. "I don't need my hands to best you." She tried conjuring up another icicle, but nothing formed in the air.

The young man above her let a guffaw of a laugh escape his lips. "No, I imagine you don't. But these little beauties here prevent you from doing any magick." He tapped the crystalized shackles, smug smile still in place. "My own invention, of course." His chest puffed out in pride and he fleetingly reminded her of a preening peacock, an image that made her snort. She'd studied them in one of her Terran classes. Good thing too, because this man seemed to be displaying a copious amount of self-satisfaction.

He seemed to deflate a little at her lack of interest but recovered quickly. "Now, if you don't tell me what you are doing here, I will be forced to charge you with attempt of murder. Penalty of that is death." The playfulness had left his eyes, replaced by calculating coldness.

She felt like she had no other option but to tell him the truth. "You were right, I am a senshi, protector of Princess Serenity. It seems my charge has escaped to your planet. I merely followed her to return her to her home. We meant no harm to your kingdom."

She watched as his brows furrowed in thought. Finally, a sigh escaped his lips. He deftly moved off of her and easily picked her up off the ground. He made no move to remove the shackles from her wrist though. "Seems Kunzite was right," he seemed to say to himself, as if forgetting she was there at all. "If that's the case…" he trailed off, deliberating with himself. "Let's make a deal," he finally said. "I'll take those off if you promise to not try to kill me again and to forget that I made an attempt at your life as well. Wouldn't want the wraith of the whole galaxy on me." He winked at her.

"I promise," she said. He gave her a beautiful smile then, one that left her a little stunned. He snapped and the shackles disappeared. She looked at him in confusion. Nowhere in her reports about Terra did it say their people could also use magick. She looked at him a little warily. If he noticed, he ignored it.

"Might as well introduce one another, since we'll be working closely together. I'm Lord Zoicite, general to Prince Endymion." He bowed low to her, the playful smirk again on his lips.

"I beg your pardon?" She said, surprised at his words.

His smile faltered. He seemed to hesitate a little before answering, "Lord Zoicite, general of the north. I'm one of Prince Endymion's shitennou."

"Yes, I understood that part. I deduced as much when I first laid eyes on you," she said coolly. "I meant the part where you mentioned us working together. I do not foresee that happening. Terra is not a part of the Silver Alliance."

He smiled sardonically at her. "Not yet we aren't. But it seems your princess has other ideas. She's been sneaking down here for about a month now. My prince is enchanted with her. And she with him, it seems."

She inwardly groaned. Leave it to Princess Serenity to fall for the one person she couldn't have. And once the princess had her mind set on something, no one could change it. She had to find her princess and drag her back home and report back to Sailor Venus. They had to nip this in the bud before Serenity truly fell in love with the Terran prince; for they would be doomed if they let that happen.

Another loud rumble made her jump again and she chided herself for being so easily spooked. She heard his chuckle and ignored it, choosing instead to try to find her princess through their bond.

"You're not Sailor Jupiter, since I heard she favors this type of weather." He had walked closer to her but she refused to acknowledge his presence. This seemed to irk him as he didn't look accustomed to being ignored. "You know it's rude to ignore someone that's speaking to you."

She sighed. He sounded like a petulant schoolboy. Unluckily for her, before she had a chance to scold him like one, the heavens opened up and big, fat drops of water began hitting her face. She squealed as he grabbed her wrist and tugged her along after him. Drenched in the few seconds that followed, and acutely aware that her sailor fuku now clung to her like a second skin, she let him lead her. They stopped underneath an overhang, both trying to catch their breath from the sprint.

She took one look at him and began to laugh. "You look like a drowned nuvox!" She managed to say in-between fits of laughter.

He shot her a look of disdain, but couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. "I've no idea what that is, but pleasant I'm sure it's not." He undid the band that had held his luscious, curly hair and began to strain it. Another bought of laughter racked her body as she watched him preen himself.

"A nuvox is this little fur ball of a creature we have in Mercury. He's rather skinny, but his hair makes him look three times his normal size. When you get them wet, their white fur hangs limply on their skin. They don't much like getting wet so they'll spend the rest of the day carefully drying themselves off. Same fashion as you are doing now." For the first time, she smiled warmly at him.

He stopped messing with his hair and stared at her, a goofy smile on his lips. "Sounds dreadful."

"Oh no, they're my favorite creatures of Mercury. Extremely intelligent."

"I'll remember that, Sailor Mercury," he said softly, moving closer to her. She couldn't help but admire how beautiful he was, which was a peculiar way to describe a male, but he was nonetheless. His face had a softness to it, a delicacy most women would be jealous of. His hand reached out and she held her breath, afraid to even move. He tucked a strand of her loose, blue hair behind her ear, his hand resting a bit longer than necessary on her cheek.

"You should really laugh and smile more. You're radiant when you do." He dropped his hand and moved away from her, again messing with his hair. She felt her face flush and a warm, pleasant feeling fill her whole body.

They had stayed like that for a while, waiting for the downpour to clear. They had talked amiably and he had even gotten her to laugh a few times. Each time he had, he'd smiled brilliantly at her and her heart would flutter. After the rain had ebbed, they'd found their respective monarchs. She had scolded her princess half-heartedly, not really as upset as she'd been earlier. They had left then, and a small part of her had secretly wondered if that was the last time she'd ever see him. The rational side of her had said it was for learning purposes, but she knew better.

They had met many more times like that, but always random and sporadic-on the nights that they both protected their monarchs. Soon, though, their meetings weren't by chance and she had felt herself falling in love against her rational mind yelling at her not to. It'd been forbidden, for a senshi could love no other besides their princess. But she had fallen in love, with a Terran man no less. Of course Serenity had been ecstatic when she learned that her heart belonged to the green-eyed shitennou. Serenity wanted her senshi to find love just like she had with Prince Endymion.

It had been their downfall, the love they felt for the Terran men. Somehow their hearts had fallen to darkness and they had dragged the Silver Alliance down with them. She had met him one last time on the battlefield. Saw the shell of the man she once knew before her. His eyes held malice where before they shown with love. The twist of his lips made her heart yearn for the easy smile. She knew she would not make it out alive, even if her physical shell did. She had given this man her heart, the very fibers of her being, and he had already destroyed her the moment he raised his sword against her loved ones.

When they had fought she had hesitated when she had the chance to strike him down. He had gutted her then, not once wavering as his sword shredded through her skin. He had even laughed, a hollow laugh, as her blood stained his sword. His laugh had been short lived as a flaming arrow pierced his heart. He had died before his body had hit the ground. His lifeless eyes staring at her, she began to cry. She felt Rei kneel down beside her and cradle her head. Tearstains streaked down her soot-covered cheeks. Her face looked pale, like she had lost too much blood. She noticed a large, gaping wound on Rei's left flank that oozed blood steadily down her side. Rei leaned down, her long ebony hair fanning around them like a curtain, and kissed her forehead as her last breath sounded like a choked sob. She had learned later on that Rei had died like that, Rei's body having fallen to the side, but her head still on Rei's lap.

The tears had begun to fall again and the numbness she had felt had ebbed away, leaving the pain scratching at her heart. She had met him again in this lifetime. And in this lifetime she had not hesitated to kill him. She had not known how significant the man with the leaf-green eyes had been to her. All she knew was in that moment- she had felt like she had lost a piece of herself. Many years later she would find out why. One could say they were even now and she smiled bitterly at the thought.

She had walked to a little river a mile or so behind her neighborhood. It hadn't frozen over yet to her enjoyment. The running water acted like a balm on her frazzled nerves. The soft, trickling sound like music to her ears. She felt hot all of the sudden, like her whole body had been set ablaze. In that moment, her feverish mind came up with a senseless idea, and for once in her life, she paid her rational mind no attention.

She began to strip. She flung her gloves, scarf, and coat to the floor. Her boots came flying off next. She felt like the only way to get rid of the pain would be to dive into the river and wash it all away. She was no longer thinking clearly. Her mind did not care about hypothermia, about any of the consequences. Her shirt went up and over her head, tossed casually aside. Goosebumps prickled her body and her numb fingers had little success on unbuttoning her pants.

"Ami!" A familiar voice called out to her.

Ami abruptly stopped, her hands falling limply to her sides. Even in her delusional state, the ghost of him called out to her.

"Ami, stop!" This time the voice was closer, more urgent.

Her body tensed up, but Ami did not move. She stood there, not daring to breath, not moving an inch. She felt warm hands engulf her, a solid chest behind her. She inhaled deeply as she leaned against the warm embrace. His scent surrounding her, she knew she must have finally cracked.

"Ami," she heard his voice whisper, tickling her ear. His hands grasped her shoulders and gently turned her to face him. Ami dreamily stared up at leaf-green eyes. She saw tears streaming down his face and pain in his eyes. "I'm so sorry," he choked out. He pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face in the crook of her neck. His warm breath on her throat sent little shivers running down her spine. He must have mistaken her shiver for something else, for he engulfed her again, running his hands up and down her arms to keep her warm. "I need to get you out of here, you're burning up!"

He bent down and retrieved her clothes. He started trying to dress her, a small blush marring his cheeks as he saw the state of her undress. He managed to get her shirt back on before she clasped his hands with hers.

"I was always the one that blushed." He smiled that beautiful smile she had yearned for all these years. And then her mind went haywire, trying to piece everything together. "Zoicite, is it really you? My mind isn't playing tricks on me? You're not some ghost here to torture me further?" She reached out and touched his face gingerly. He leaned into the touch, closing his eyes and sighing contently.

"I go by Zeph now. And add this to the long list of things I'm sorry for." He leaned in and kissed her fervently, like she would disappear if he didn't. She kissed him back, relishing the feeling of her hands entangling in his hair. They broke apart after awhile, both breathing heavily. He didn't let her go though and his hands went to rest on her slim hips. "Come on, let's take you home. You've got a fever. Once you get better, I'll grovel at your feet for forgiveness. I'll pray to all the gods for a sliver of hope that you'll take me back. That I can explain everything to you." He easily picked her up, cuddling her to his chest.

She knew she should've been wary of him, angry at his double betrayal, but she had no energy left in her. She had gone through all those emotions months ago when she first learned about her past. And for the second time in this life, Ami ignored her rational side.

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So this is my first little one shot! I kept listening to the song Ghost by Ella Henderson and this thought of Ami popped into my head. (If you haven't, go check it out, it's very good and fits well) This turned out a lot longer than I had originally intended. But the story had a mind of it's own so I just kept writing. I'll be writing these whenever the mood strikes me, but no guarantees to when that'll be. Review and tell me what you think of it, thanks!


	2. Winter Wonderland

Ok so with Christmas just around the corner my fingers were itching to try a little christmas fic! This takes place in the same universe, if you will, as the previous one featuring Ami!

Featuring: Rei/Jadeite  
Warnings: Once again I'd say this is T due to mentions of alcohol and kissing; M if you can't handle heavy kissing :)  
I don't own Sailor Moon or Frozen

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Rei stood watching him curiously as he bought two tickets to the botanic garden. He had on an oxford gray wool car coat and dark blue jeans, his blond, slightly curly hair peaking through the front of his blue beanie. She grudgingly admitted, if only to herself, that he looked good. He made his way back to her, his cerulean eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Ready?" He asked her, unable to keep the giddiness out of his voice.

She nodded her head, a slight smile forming on her lips. They made their way outside, standing just far enough apart that their arms grazed one another's. As far as nights went, the weather wasn't so bad tonight, as long as the wind didn't pick up. It was pleasantly cold, as both of them had bundled up for the occasion. She pulled on her black knitted beanie with a little pompon, a gift from Usagi, more snuggly around her ears. They walked past the bare fountain, now decorated with white lights that made an intricate pattern around it, as if the lights itself were moving water. As they made their way to the open area, where the path curved right, left, or straight ahead, Rei halted to take a look around.

The botanic garden had been transformed into a winter wonderland. The sidewalk had been outlined with luminaries as far as her eyes could see. The trees next to them shown brightly with white lights winding its way up all the branches. Christmas music could be heard softly playing in the background.

"It's beautiful," she said softly. And romantic, she couldn't help adding to herself. She suddenly felt a little nervous standing so close to him. Luckily for her, her demeanor remained the same.

Julian grinned and grabbed her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. "Come on, let's go this way." He tugged her slightly to the right. She was pretty sure they were supposed to start on the left and make their way slowly to the other side, but she stayed silent and followed him. She secretly didn't want to damper the boy-like smile he had on his face. She glanced at their hands quickly, hers covered in a black leather glove, his in a knitted blue. It dawned on her that his gloves, along with the matching beanie, were the one's Makoto had made him the year before. They were well used from what she could see, and apparently well loved. That made her smile.

They stopped at a tall tree that partially hung over the sidewalk. The base of the tree had been decorated with purple lights. Where the trunk turned into branches, it alternated between purple, red, and blue. Hanging from the branches were balls made up of more lights, varying in color. It was gorgeous, so they stood there a little longer, admiring it. Rei untangled her hand from his to pull out her phone. She snapped a picture so as to always remember it.

"Want me to get a picture of you standing by it?"

Rei shook her head. "No, I don't want to ruin it."

"I think the tree would disagree with you," Julian teased.

Rei snorted. "Talking to tree's now, are you?" She slipped her phone back into the pocket of her red pea coat.

He chuckled. "I'll leave that to the expertise of Mako." He intertwined their fingers again and continued leading her down the path. The gesture was not lost on her. Deep down, she treasured holding hands, not that she would ever tell him that.

The girls would always have their bi-weekly "girls night", a tradition they had started once they had all become friends. On those nights, they would either get all dolled up and hit the clubs, or wear ridiculous pajamas and either spend the night at Makoto's or her place. They would all drink copious amounts of liquor and get plastered drunk, eagerly munching on the sweets Makoto had made while either getting ready or lying around all the blankets they'd laid on the floor. Those nights were the only time she let her guard down, feeling inebriated due to all the alcohol running through her body. She would snatch the closest girls hand and lace her fingers through theirs, regardless if they were headed to the latest club, out in public, or all lying on the blankets in a circle, their heads all touching as they giggled uncontrollably.

The girls would tease her about it, saying it was the only time she showed her affection towards them. She knew where her love of handholding stemmed from. Her mother had always held her hand. Whenever they were out running errands or walking around the park, her mother would slip her hands through hers. She had never felt so close to her mother as she did then, quietly relishing in the special bond as she happily swung their arms. After her mother had passed away, she hadn't felt that bond with anyone else for a long time.

When they had their first girl's night outing, after finishing off a bottle of RumChata and spiced Rum (what Minako had called a crunchy captain) she'd felt the yearning again for the bond she'd had with her mother. For the simple human interaction she had when they quietly walked hand in hand down the street. Sure she had her grandfather, who'd been an amazing and doting man. But she had never sought him out for that, the wound still too fresh after losing her mother. She'd been a child, and foolishly believed if she did, she'd loose him too. And so, after years of that yearning, and with friends who she thought of as sisters, she finally let go of those foolish, childish fears. In her drunken stupor, she'd boldly latched onto Minako's hand. Minako had giggled and looked down at their clasped hands.

The blonde's eyes had been glazed over with alcohol, but in that moment they were as sharp as ever. Minako had squeezed her hand in hers and whispered drunkenly, "I love you too, Rei."

Usagi had made her way to Rei's other side then, and taken her hand into hers. She gave Rei a drunken smile. "Sharing is caring, Minako!" She'd attempted a drunken hug while still holding fast to Rei's hand.

Makoto had laced her fingers with Minako's other hand and Ami's with Usagi's. They'd walked like that, hand in hand, all the way to the club, stumbling, giggling, and supporting each other.

So yes, she really relished handholding. She'd be lying to herself if she were to say she didn't enjoy her hand in his. She felt closer to him somehow, an intimate moment that they hadn't shared yet.

She didn't like it. Not one bit. Julian was wheedling his way into her armored defenses and it scared her senseless. This was their fourth official date. He'd been the epitome of a complete gentleman in the first three. Not once did he try to kiss her, grope her, or attempted an awkward hug after saying goodbye after each date. He'd kept his hands, and lips, to himself at all times. He'd been patient with her, giving her the space she needed to come to terms with it all. Hell, the man had given her almost a whole year before asking her out on an official date. He was stubborn, she'd give him that much.

She vaguely wondered who had spilled the beans on her secret love of handholding. Whoever it was (most likely Usagi, the little traitor), she'd be having a few choice words with later on. She'd been so rapt up in her murderous thoughts that she'd missed what Julian had asked her.

"I'm sorry, what?"

He chuckled again. "I think you've been hanging around Usagi too long. I asked who was in trouble since you looked ready to scorch someone. My bet's on Zeph." He added happily, his face lighting up. Probably picturing her burning his friend. Typical.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said coolly.

He scoffed at her. "Please! You get this evil little glint in your eyes and giddy look on your face every time you think about lighting anything on fire. You practically ooze satisfaction. I've been observing you, just like I used to back-" Julian coughed, a pink tinge marring his cheeks. "That is, look, what a beautiful display!" He pointed with his free hand hurriedly.

Rei bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. He looked cute, all flustered at his slip. Not that that excused his creepy tendencies.

Rei shrugged. "I've got to find ways to be jolly during the holidays," she smoothly replied, a teasing tone lacing her words.

"Remind me to have Zeph piss you off. Which shouldn't be too hard," he teased back.

Rei glared at him. "I'll add you to that list if you keep giving me lip!"

"Oh, the naughty list I hope!" He smiled wickedly at her.

This time, she was the one that felt the heat rise to her cheeks. She grumbled her plans on how she'd burn his ass if people weren't around. That just made him laugh. She ignored him and looked to what he'd originally pointed to. She was taken aback on how she had blatantly missed the display. LED lights had been placed on the ground, making about a 10-foot square. Above the square and centered stood a lone tree made up of only lights. Currently, the lights were dancing along to the Frozen song, Let it Go.

Rei turned towards Julian, an eyebrow quirked up. "Really?"

His face was completely serious as he replied, "Yes. Frozen is a majestic movie."

Rei rolled her eyes. "Says the 12 year old prepubescent girl."

Julian mocked being hurt. "The 12 year old prepubescent girl in me is crying real tears of hurt right now."

His laugh was infectious and Rei couldn't help but join in. They continued walking down the illuminated sidewalk, stopping in front of a beautiful wooden pergola. It had been decorated with stunning ice blue lights that shined brightly like little crystals. She had started pulling out her phone when an older gentleman stopped by them.

"Want me to take a picture of you lovebirds underneath it?" He asked, smiling sweetly at them.

Rei stiffened, her back ramrod straight. Julian easily pulled out his phone and handed it to the man, not missing a beat. "Yeah, that'd be great, thanks."

Julian pulled her close to him, wrapping an arm around her waist. Put in this position, Rei had no other choice but to stiffly place her arm around him. Up this close to him, she could smell his cologne. And her nose was a traitor for enjoying it.

"Okay, on the count of three. One…"

Rei felt Julian lean down towards her. "You smell delicious," he whispered right before she heard the click of his phone go off. Rei was pretty sure that picture would show her mortified face and Julian smiling cheekily.

The man handed Julian back his phone. "You two make a lovely couple. Have a good night." He shook hands with Julian, who had the biggest smile on his face.

"Thanks, you too."

Rei glared daggers at the man's retreating form. "Careful, Rei, I think I see smoke coming off of him," Julian teased. Rei knew he was teasing her on purpose to get a rise out of her. Well, two could play that game.

Instead of responding, she just rolled her eyes at him. She gave him a charming smile, which she noticed made him slightly nervous, and grabbed his hand. They made small talk as they continued their way around the garden, a plan formulating in her mind. When her sharp, amethyst eyes spotted what she'd been looking for, her grin turned predatory. Luckily for her, Julian had been distracted by another display of lights and hadn't noticed.

"Oh, let's take another picture together under that beautiful arch!" She made sure her eyes were full of pleading, her lips a little pouted. Minako would've been so proud. Plus, she wasn't lying; it really was beautiful. A large, white arch made up of the colors of the rainbow in lights stood over a part of the sidewalk that branched off.

Julian just stared dumbfounded at her. Maybe she had laid it on a little too thick. He stared at her suspiciously, his cerulean eyes searching hers. Finally, a grin broke over his face. "There's that joyful spirit!"

Rei laughed. "Yes, it's been hiding all along," she sarcastically remarked, signaling down an older couple passing by while Julian headed closer to the arch. Rei whispered something to the lady while handing her the phone. The lady smiled and nodded her head. Rei walked over to Julian, a little smile on her face.

He looked at her curiously. "What was that about?"

"Oh, just making sure she doesn't cut the arch off. You know how some older people do that by mistake," she supplied offhandedly. She snuggled up close to him, placing her hand on his chest. Even through all the fabric of his coat and shirt, she could feel the taught muscle underneath.

He pulled her closer, not seeming to mind or notice her complete 180 in regards to being so close. Rei almost snorted. When the lady started messing with her phone, tilting it this way and that to get the perfect angle, Rei casually whispered, "Look up."

Julian glanced upward, probably spotting what she'd seen earlier, and then back down to face her, confusion written all over his face. Rei quickly untangled herself from him, stood on her tiptoes, bracing herself on his chest with both hands, and brushed her lips against his. When she felt him respond, she pushed herself back, a wicked glint in her eyes and a cocky smile on her lips. The lady, per request, had taken a series of pictures of the whole thing. Rei couldn't wait to go through them to see the surprise on his face. She could feel Julian pouting next to her, but ignored him as she thanked the couple and stored her phone away.

"You know, that wasn't very nice," he mumbled.

Rei gave him a haughty look. "Maybe you should be more astute next time. Kaiden wouldn't be too happy." She smirked at his sour expression.

"You shouldn't be playing with fire, little miko, unless you're willing to get burnt," he warned, his eyes darkening.

Rei stared right back, tilting her head a little higher. "You forget how well I play with fire then."

Julian leaned in close and whispered, "No, but I've learned a few tricks." Rei felt a shiver run down her spine and knew it hadn't been from the cold.

She scoffed and poked him in the chest with a manicured finger. "If my memory serves right, falling on your ass while attempting to ice skate doesn't count."

He laughed and took her hand into his, eyes full of mirth. "I never claimed to be amazing at it, plus Neven pushed me. Now come on, Santa's here and I want to get my wish in."

Re rolled her eyes at him. "Figures you'd have an ulterior motive for bringing me here. You know he's not-"

"Ah ah," he said, cutting her off, "Don't go ruining it for me with your bah humbug attitude!"

Rei just shook her head, muttering nonsensical things about him.

* * *

He had insisted on dropping her off and as they made their way up the steps, still hand-in-hand, Rei had thought how much fun she had had with him. Sure they'd had their other dates, but she'd been cautious around him. She hadn't really let herself enjoy his company until tonight. That thought made her frown.

"Regretting what you wished for?" He asked teasingly. She just stared at him. "With Santa," he supplied, still smiling.

She sighed, a little exasperated. "Santa could never grant me my wish."

"Well, what is it?"

She gave him a sardonic smile. "I thought you weren't supposed to tell, you know, or else it wouldn't come true."

He shrugged. "Not sure, I didn't get that far in reading up on Santa." He gave her a sheepish grin. They arrived in front of her door and they stood facing each other.

"I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

She smacked him in the arm. "You're impossible." She turned, offering her back to him as she fumbled around for her keys.

"Wait, Rei." He grabbed both her hands in his larger ones. His tone came off serious, all jesting gone from his face. "Don't turn away from me. You could never hide what was wrong then from me and let's not pretend you can now."

She met his gaze, and what she saw there startled her. She'd forgotten how his very stare could bore into her soul so easily. Even if she's uncertain of what she's doing, she didn't show it. Her keys fell to the floor as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down towards her. This time, she didn't give him a chaste kiss, but a scorching one. One of her hands had his blue beanie clutched tightly, the other played with his soft curls, tugging him further down to her; she needed him closer. He seemed to want the same thing as he pushed her against the door roughly. She bit down on his bottom lip to chastise him. He grabbed one of her legs and lifted it to his hip, pressing into her, but didn't seem satisfied with just that, and hoisted her up instead. She gasped, a little surprised by his hand placement, but wrapped her legs around his torso. He groaned into her mouth, and the noise sparked a little flame inside of her.

When she finally pushed against his chest gently, they were both breathing hard. She noticed that her beanie, along with his, were loitering the ground. He rested his head on the hollow of her neck; his hot breath tickling her skin, giving her goose bumps. She bit down on her bottom lip when she felt his lips leave fiery kisses there.

He pulled away slightly then. "You've no idea how long I've been wanting to kiss you like that." His voice sounded strained. She answered him by kissing him again, this time not so fiercely- taking her time to enjoy him. She trailed her tongue across his lips and then captured his bottom lip into her own, sucking it slightly. He tightened his grip on her as he continued to kiss her slowly. She felt herself losing control and abruptly stopped. She pulled away again and this time unhooked her legs from around his waist. He slowly eased her down and sighed.

"Looks like you've learned a few tricks since then. Not that I mind," he hastily added when her eyes narrowed at him.

"I'll take that as a compliment," she said a little fiercely. Her heart pounded against her chest and she vaguely wondered what she'd gotten herself into. He always had a way of undoing her. He bent down and picked up their discarded beanies and her keys.

"You won't hear me complain. Except I am curious to know the names of those who taught you so I can beat them into a bloody pulp." He gave her a wolfish grin, his eyes glittering dangerously.

"You'll have a hard pressed time beating yourself up then," she coolly responded, noticing how her comment wiped the smirk off his face. He just stood there quietly, absorbing what she'd said. She watched his face as a cocky grin reappeared, making the connection.

"Goodnight, Julian," she said between gritted teeth. She didn't allow him to voice his inner thoughts about the situation out loud. Let him think what he wanted.

He smirked and bended down quickly, giving her a quick kiss before she could complain. When she glanced up at him, she saw his somber look.

"I know I've made empty promises in the past, so I won't make any now. And I know why you're scared, Rei. God knows I don't blame you, since you've got every reason to be. I've done some shitty things in the past. But I'm not going anywhere and I'll wait another 1000 years or more until you realize that." He handed her the keys and made his way to the stairs. When he reached the foot of them, he turned back around. She stood rooted to the spot, barely able to breath.

"For the record, I wished for another million years like tonight. And I'm glad I did, because even if this is all you can give me, I'm happy." He smiled sadly at her and began walking down the stairs.

Rei couldn't seem to make her feet move. Fear paralyzed her to the spot. Back then, she'd been too prideful to tell him how she felt. Now, she'd known too much lose. It scared her to think that she could love him back, because if she did, it meant that he'd be capable of hurting her like no one else could. Even more than her father, and that still stung to this day. Had she not suffered the last time? Had she not died back then because of what she felt for him? Or, a little voice in her mind said, whom she always pictured as being her grandfather, because you didn't let yourself love him; you made yourself suffer. Was she doomed to keep repeating her childish mistakes again and again? Had she not finally learned after many years that the opposite of love was not hate, like she had previously thought, but indifference? Whatever she felt for Julian, it was anything but apathy.

Scrounging up what little gumption she had left, she bolted after him. He was at the bottom of the stairs, rounding the corner when she yelled, "Julian, stop!"

He turned towards her, his face a mask of cool indifference. She halted in her treacherous decent down the steps.

"Why don't you stay for tea," she lamely finished. He smiled radiantly at her and her breath hitched in her throat. He ran up the stairs to meet her half way, the boyish grin still on his face. He leaned down and captured her mouth with his hungrily, knowing full well that even if that wasn't a declaration of love, it was a step in the right direction. When he pulled away, he threaded his fingers through hers easily. As they made their way back up the stairs, Rei couldn't help but think that maybe Santa had granted her wish.

* * *

Ok, so I had wanted to do a Christmas type thing and this is what I came up with. I had originally planned it to be light and fluff (but the end kind of spluttered a little, oops). Because of that, Rei might be a little out of character. I wanted to give her and Jadeite a fluffy side since they're always so angsty! So don't worry, she'll go back to being her normal, haughty self soon! Hope you guys enjoyed it as it was intended to be a little Christmas present. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! :D


	3. Rum Flavored Kisses

Because February is my birthday month, I wanted to post something during it just for fun! So, as a happy birthday to all you awesome Feb babies (woo!) here's a little something for us all!

Featuring: Makoto/Nephrite (little bit of Minako thrown in too)  
Universe: Same one-shot/drabble as the first two. Takes place after Ami's but before Rei's.  
Warnings/rating: Just to be on the safe side, I'll rate this as an M. It involves heavy usage of Rum, heavy hinting of sex (nothing graphic, mind you), and all three characters have potty mouths. So, if all those things offend you, I suggest you move along!

* * *

The summer air was hot and humid, promising another day in record-breaking temperatures. All the windows in the small apartment were propped open, the hot air breezing in. And unluckily for Makoto, her stupid, measly little air conditioner decided to sputter out on her last night (as if that night couldn't get any worse). It was early Sunday and so maintenance wouldn't come around until Monday afternoon to fix it. Makoto was stuck with no air and dingy fans to keep her alive until then. And all those did was circulate the hot air around and around.

To make matters worse, she had had the bright idea to bake Usagi's birthday cake today of all days. Her apartment had already been sweltering hot to begin with, coupled with the preheated oven; it became almost unbearable to be in. Since she lived on the highest floor and wasn't expecting any company besides Minako later in the day, Makoto had no qualms in shedding all her clothes but a white tank top and her green, lacey cheeky panties. Her tank was currently sticking to her body like a second skin thanks to the sweat that was pooling underneath it. Not for the first time, she cursed her bad luck.

She'd been hoping that her foul mood from last night could be fixed by one of her favorite past times, baking, but the heat had all but ruined that for her. She stood in front of her stove, sweat starting to form on her forehead as she mixed the chocolaty contents in the pot. She had decided to try a new recipe for the filling of Usagi's cake; one that required spiced rum. She had only put in two tablespoons for taste, since the actual alcohol would be cooked off. The bottle stood a little to the left of her and Makoto eyed it apprehensively.

After the night she had had, morning drinking wasn't sounding so bad. _Besides, it's not like there is anyone around to judge me_, she thought_. _With her mind made up, Makoto stirred the contents until it was the right consistency. She quickly turned off the stove and set the pot on another burner to cool off. Not much she could do with it until later. Grabbing the rum bottle and taking a few swigs, she stood in front of the closest fan, relishing in the small reprieve it gave her. Not that that was saying much since the air was still relatively warm as it hit her sticky skin.

Taking another few more swigs, Makoto sighed. Leave it to her to drown her sorrows with alcohol and baking. If her friends knew, they probably would've chided her, but she didn't really care at the moment. She was feeling miserable and needed a pick-me-up. And the one-pound of chocolates she'd inhaled last night hadn't helped. As she stood in front of the fan, the air blowing her auburn hair around her face easily, Makoto thought back to the past six months.

It had all started in January, when _they_ had all but popped back up into the senshi's lives like unwanted weeds. It had been a shock to them all when Zoicite, or Zeph as he went by nowadays, had carried in a feverish Ami to Rei's doorsteps. Of course she and Rei had ran over, Rei snatching Ami out of his hands with such force Zeph had stumbled forward. Makoto had been seething with rage, and in her rage, she had punched him square in the jaw before anyone else could even utter a word. The resounding crack had been music to her ears.

_"Makoto! What the hell are you doing? Stop!" Mamoru yelled at her._

_ "I do not take orders from you, Mamoru!" She yelled as she swung again, missing Zeph as he quickly dodged her this time around. She yelled out in frustration as she swung again, her vision clouded in a red haze. Her punches were sloppy at best. If she had been paying attention, she would've noticed that he wasn't swinging back at her, merrily dodging. As it were, she was too busy trying to land another hit to notice. _

_ "Makoto!" Usagi squeaked, alarmed._

_ Makoto kept on messily throwing punches until Mamoru stepped in between Zeph and her, grabbing her flailing hands into his larger ones. Makoto stopped long enough to stare at Mamoru with a look of confusion mingled with hurt. She pulled her hands roughly away from his, jumping back in anger._

_ "What the hell are you doing protecting him? He's our enemy!" She yelled at him, her hands balled into fists at her sides._

_ "Zeph's not! If you would just calm down for a second and let me explain, you'd see that," Mamoru calmly stated, his sapphire eyes pleading with her. Makoto took another step back, horrified at his words. She felt Minako's hand snake around her own and tug her back towards her. Makoto stood silently next to Minkao, all the fight having left her as Mamoru's words felt like a punch to the gut. She vaguely registered Rei's stiff form next to her. _

_ Usagi looked conflicted as she stood in the middle of Mamoru and them. With drooped shoulders and a sad look back at them, Usagi made her way next to Mamoru._

_ "Usagi, get back here!" Minako commanded. She had taken a small step towards the other blonde girl._

_ "It's ok Minako. He's not going to hurt me. Please, just listen to Mamoru! We can explain everything!" Usagi said, her voice trembling with emotion._

_ "If he stabs her, it's her own damn fault. Can't protect someone from their own stupidity," Rei shot back, her glare projected towards the three that stood in front of her. Usagi physically flinched at the words. Makoto sighed sadly. She hated seeing Usagi upset. She turned to Minako, a questioning look as she addressed her leader silently. _

_ Minako nodded her head curtly. "Fine, we'll listen. But Usagi needs to be on our side, just in case."_

_ Usagi jutted her chin out stubbornly, crossing her arms and planting her feet firmly on the ground. Minako shook her head, exasperated. _

_ Rei scoffed. "Your funeral then," she said coolly._

_ "Usako, go on, it's fine." Mamoru gave Usagi a small smile as he gently prodded her forward. Usagi nodded her head and made her way next to Minako. "Can we please discuss this inside, Rei?"_

_ Rei bristled, opening her mouth to retort but Usagi cut her off._

_ "Rei, please!" Usagi pleaded, her sky blue eyes turning rounder as she clasped Rei's hands. Rei's glare softened slightly._

_ "Whatever. But if he so as much as breathes wrong, I'm holding you personally responsible." _

_ Usagi squealed happily, nodding fervently. Rei made her way inside the temple, the others following silently behind her. She stopped in front of her room to check up on Ami, who was sleeping peacefully in Rei's bed. Zeph took a step forward but Makoto stopped him with a warning look. He looked at Ami sadly but nodded his head, following them as Rei led them further in._

_ They all sat around the small table as Rei busied herself preparing tea. Makoto smiled despite herself; leave it to Rei to still be a gracious host in such a hostile meeting. Makoto eyed Zeph when he wasn't looking. His shoulders were slumped dejectedly and he was nervously folding and unfolding his hands in his lap. He looked so pitiful Makoto almost felt bad for him. Almost. When Rei finished serving everyone but Zeph tea (he had to serve himself), Mamoru cleared his throat. _

_ "As you can see, the shitennou are back. I'll spare you all the details on how that's possible since we aren't too sure ourselves. They showed up almost a month ago at my doorsteps. After a few days of considering their fates, I decided to forgive them. I told Usako a week later, and she welcomed them with open arms." Mamoru smiled warmly at Usagi, squeezing her hand._

_ "You mean you knew and didn't tell us?" Makoto asked, feeling a little hurt._

_ "Hush, Makoto. Let them finish. We'll have our chance to scrutinize them later," Minako calmly stated, placing a reassuring hand on her knee. Minako signaled for Mamoru to continue._

_ "I made her promise not to say anything to you guys. I wanted to make sure I could trust them before everyone met. They were still coming into their powers and I didn't want them to be a threat to anyone. We finally agreed to tell you guys tonight. I was going to have them all show up after our weekly meeting, but then Zeph called and said there was something wrong with Ami so I told him to meet me at Rei's temple since I was already here and I was worried about her. This wasn't how I planned on it going," Mamoru finished, frustration lacing his words. _

_ Makoto sat quietly, digesting everything Mamoru had stated. Her heart rate had quickened at the prospect of his words. Nephrite was alive and in the same city. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about it all. _

_ "Rei, do you sense an evil presence around Zoicite?" Minako's voice broke into Makoto's inner thoughts. _

_ "It's Zeph now," the strawberry blond man added, trying to be helpful._

_ "Same difference," Rei shot back acidly. "And no, I don't." Makoto thought she sounded a little disappointed. _

_ Minako tapped her lip with a finger, thinking it over. After a few seconds of silence, she placed her hands on the table. "I'd like to have a private meeting with my senshi to discuss this further, but with Ami not being here, we will have to post-pone it until she feels better. Until then, I recommend you keep your men far away from Usagi and the rest of us." With that, the discussion was thoroughly closed. Mamoru looked ready to say something, but the look Minako was giving him kept his mouth shut. Makoto was impressed. Zeph looked around the room awkwardly and stood up, giving them all a sad little smile._

_ "It was a pleasure to finally meet all of you. Please take care of Ami for me; she has a high fever that's a bit worrisome. Good day." He waved half-heartedly and left with Mamoru, who hadn't said a word. _

_Usagi had stayed behind. No one had really talked those next few days when they all camped out at Rei's, waiting for Ami to get better. When she finally did recover, they had gathered around in Rei's room. The air was heavy with anticipation and anxiety. Minako recounted what had transpired to Ami, who sat quietly listening._

"_I thought I was dreaming when I saw him," Ami responded, a blush creeping up her neck and face._

"_I wish," Rei mumbled._

"_That's it!" Usagi exclaimed, stomping her foot angrily. Makoto stared at her in surprise. "I'm not telling you guys to pick up where you left off in the Silver Millennium, but-"_

"_That would be a little difficult considering they killed us. Can't really pick up where we left off when you left off being dead," Rei said sarcastically, interrupting Usagi's speech. Makoto looked at Usagi, waiting for the tears to appear, but there were none. Instead, Usagi had drawn herself up, looking like the regal queen she would one day be._

"_Rei, you will listen to me without interruptions! I am your Queen and I deserve that respect. Am I making myself clear?" Makoto had never heard Usagi use that tone of voice with any of them. She couldn't help but smile proudly at Usagi._

_Rei glared back, crossing her arms, but didn't say anything else._

"_Good. Now, I can't force you guys to like them, but you will be working with them. It'll be good to have them around for patrols. We won't be stretched out so thin and it'll give us some breathing room. I know you'd never complain, but I see how tired you guys get. This will be good for us, I promise. And I see how happy Mamoru is now that they are around. So please, try to be civil, for Mamoru?" Usagi had been close to tears towards the end, but held them back with a few stubborn sniffles. They had all agreed, some more stubbornly than others, to be civil around the shitennou for Mamoru and Usagi's sake. _

The shrill beeping of the timer Makoto had set for the cake brought her back to the present. Setting the rum down, she grabbed her mittens and opened up the oven, cursing the heat as it wafted towards her face. Grabbing the cake and placing it on the stove, Makoto closed the oven and turned it off, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. She'd probably have to place the cake in the fridge to cool off faster since her apartment felt like the inside of an oven. Deciding to see how the cake would do sitting out for a while, Makoto grabbed the bottle and headed into her little living room. She sat on the wooden floor instead of the couch, preferring the coolness of it rather than the clothed death trap. Leaning against the wall, Makoto stretched her long legs out. Looking at the bottle in her hand, she noticed she had drunk a little more than she originally thought.

_Oh well_, she thought, taking another swig of it. The first couple of months with the shitennou had been trying to say the least. Ami had been the most forgiving, striking up a friendly relationship with Zeph and the other men easily enough. She had always made polite conversation whenever they were around. Minako, acting like their leader, kept her word and was civil around them all, for the most part. She even started acting like her normal, bubbly self around Jadeite, now named Julian. Makoto did notice how Minako avoided Kunzite, or rather Kaiden, unless she absolutely couldn't avoid it. That tended to be a lot, given that they were both acting leaders and had to discuss various strategies. It had made for some awkward situations.

Rei had acted aloof around all the shitennou, only speaking to them when she had no other choice. She had all but pretended Julian didn't exist, never once looking or speaking to him in the first month and a half. And as for herself, well she had been angry at first. She had snapped at them a lot that first month; she was embarrassed to say now. But soon, her friendly disposition won out when she got to know this version of them better. The only one she had held a grudge against had been Nephrite, or Neven as he went by nowadays. Which was ironic, since he'd been the one to win all the other senshi over with his teddy bear persona. He joked and laughed the easiest among the four.

Rei and Makoto had secretly come to an agreement during that first month. Since Usagi had made them patrol as senshi/shitennou pairs, alternating so they all could get a chance to know each other better, they'd cheated her system. Rei and Makoto would switch nights whenever they'd be stuck with a certain shitennou they couldn't stand. Ami and Minako had disapproved, but hadn't said anything to Usagi.

Their little agreement had lasted for about a month until Usagi had found out. Unbeknownst to them, Usagi had told the men to switch too. Rei had walked into a trap one faithful night. She had handled it with the grace and poise she'd been born with, up until about halfway through their patrol. Julian and Rei had stumbled upon a stray youma. According to the story both had told later on, Julian had somehow almost (accidently he'd kept insisting) kicked Rei when the youma had dodged. Rei had quickly dispatched the youma with a fiery arrow and had turned her bow on Julian. He'd been sporting a scorch mark on his arm when they'd reported back the next day.

Minako and Kaiden had both decided that to keep a situation like that from happening again, the senshi and shitennou would train every weekend together, to better acclimate themselves. The first few training sessions had gone well. Makoto had done her best to avoid Neven during them, but somehow he had always managed to worm his way near her. She'd lost her temper a few times around him, and he had with her once, but it'd been nothing compared to Julian and Rei.

During one particular training session, Julian had made a comment that had finally set Rei off. She had said some pretty nasty words to him and then had stormed off, but not before setting the tree next to Julian on fire. After that day, instead of ignoring Julian, Rei had made it her mission to insult him every chance she got.

_Kaiden called off the training session early on account of what had transpired. Makoto was heading out with Minako when Neven materialized from nowhere, barring her escape. Minako pursed her lips as she eyed Neven. Makoto shot her a pleading look._

_Minako sighed, shaking her head. "Karma's a real bitch, Mako. Neven, behave." She shot him a warning look and he returned it with an easy smile. Minako continued walking, leaving Makoto alone with Neven. Makoto glared at him for good measure._

"_Look," he began, shifting uneasily from foot to foot, "I know things between us have been…less than ideal."_

_Makoto snorted. "Understatement of the year," she mumbled._

"_But I'm tired of feeling like I'm walking on eggshells around you. All this pent up frustration and anger you have for me needs to stop. So, have at me!" He raised both arms wide, a grin on his face._

"Excuse_ me?" She said threateningly. _

_He stared at her dumbly, not understanding where the hostility had come from until his mind finally caught up. He shook both hands in defense, a look of horror plastered on his face. "No, no that's not what I meant. That…that came out wrong. I meant I want you to fight me. And none of that pansy stuff Kaiden makes us do. If you want to transform and shoot lighting at me, go ahead. I promise, I won't fight back. We won't stop until you've had your fill; until every murderous thought you've had is released." He seemed pretty proud of himself as he waited for her response. _

_Makoto blinked at him owlishly, trying to comprehend all that he had said. He wanted her to pommel him for sport? And if she'd heard correctly, he wouldn't retaliate, which meant it really wouldn't be a fair fight. But Makoto was past the point of caring, so she lunged at him. _

_Since he hadn't been expecting her to attack him just then, he didn't dodge her right cross. Her fist collided with his abdomen and his breath escaped his lips in a huff. Neven clutched his stomach as Makoto jumped back, clutching her hand._

"_I think you broke my hand!" She winced as she examined her hand tentatively. Punching him there felt like punching a brick wall, not your normal flabby human guy._

_Neven tried to chuckle, but it came out as more of a grimace. "That's not exactly my fault."_

"_Oh shut up!" Makoto growled back. She attempted a front thrust kick but he jumped back. She attacked again with a hook kick, trying to catch him by surprise. Again, he was too fast for her. "I thought you said I could hit you!" _

_He barked out a laugh. "You'll have to do better than that." He smiled cheekily at her._

_Makoto ground her teeth. She kept attacking, her aggression getting the better of her. He kept easily dodging her attacks, a grin on his face the whole time, which annoyed her. He blocked a particularly nasty roundhouse kick aimed at his thigh by quickly hooking his arm around her leg. He shoved her leg back and she stumbled backwards but recovered quickly. "Why are you doing this?" She huffed out as she continued her onslaught._

"_Because you hate me," he simply stated back, blocking a high kick aimed at his head. He grimaced a little from the blunt force of her kick. _

_She stopped to consider his words, her breathing starting to become labored from all the strain. "I don't hate you," she mused as she attempted a jab-cross punching combination that he barely blocked. She was starting to pick up on his movements._

"_Maybe not, but I want us to be friends. Like we used to be." He crossed his arms over his head to block her axe kick, his knees buckling a little from the force. With a heave, he pushed upwards, making her lose her footing from the upward motion._

_She fell on her butt with an ungraceful "oomph". The sting from his words hurt her more than flopping on her ass. The prickling of tears at the ends of her eyes made her angry. _

"_We were more than just friends, but you had to go ruin that by betraying me!" She ignored the rumbling clouds that had gathered above them, a telltale sign that she was truly getting upset. She lashed out at him with a low, spinning sweep kick. He went crashing to the floor and barely had time to roll to the side as she brought her heel down._

"_I know and I can't ever apologize enough for it! That's why I would never even entertain the fact of pursuing you in that way again. Not after how much I hurt you. But not having you in my life at all is torture, Mako!" He rolled back onto his haunches, his voice pleading._

"_I loved you! I committed treason by being with you, by telling you all those things! And for what? For you to throw it all back in my face as you plunged your spear into my chest?" Makoto knew she sounded hysterical, but she was past the point of caring._

"_Don't you think I know that? I can't take that back. Every time I look at you, I see…" His brown eyes looked haunted as he looked at her, struggling with the words. He shook his head, frustrated. "Doesn't matter. I know you can't ever see me in that way again; I'm not doing this to win you back. I just miss seeing your smile and knowing I'm the reason you don't, kills me. We were friends once, I'd like to think we can be again."_

_The sad, hopeful tone he used pushed Makoto over the edge. She rushed him, blindly throwing out punches, not really aiming. "All you had to do was apologize! Apologize for being a stupid asshole that didn't believe me when I told him I loved him! Apologize for turning to that bitch Beryl and ruining everything!" Every word was emphasized with a half-hearted punch and Neven just stood his ground, letting her hit him. Only one of her punch's connected solidly and Neven stumbled back, clutching his jaw._

_Lightening illuminated the sky and with it, the downpour began. The drops came down fast, soaking everything it touched. The rain had a calming effect on Makoto and she stopped her pitiful assault, crumbling to the floor. She brought her bruised hands to cover her face, her tears mingling with the rain as they both carved a path down her cheeks. Her sobs shook her whole body._

_She felt Neven kneel down beside her hesitantly. His warm, calloused hands pulled her own away from her face. His hands dwarfed hers by comparison and she just stared at them clutching her own. _

"_Mako," he finally said and she looked up, tears making him look blurry. His long, curly brown hair, matted down by the rain, made him look younger._

"_I'm so sorry for ever doubting you, for doubting us. I'm so sorry for betraying you and letting Beryl so easily influence me. I'm sorry for being a coward; for letting my emotions cloud my judgment." His mocha colored eyes were full of sincerity. He tried smiling, but it came out as a grimace, his hand coming up to gingerly touch the spot she'd punched. "Still got a mean right hook I see."_

_She laughed, but the sound came out as more of a sob. She was exhausted and yet, she felt lighter somehow; like all the pent up resentment she felt for him had washed away with the rain. Makoto stood up, wiping her auburn hair away from her face. She stuck out her hand._

"_Friends. Just friends. Think you can do that?" She smiled up at him._

"_Just friends, I promise." He shook her hand. _

That had been a little over four months ago. Since then, they'd gradually worked on their friendship. She no longer avoided him and during their patrols together, they had eased into a friendly banter. Soon, they started seeing each other outside of duty bound obligations. Movie nights with him and the rest of the guys or catching up over a quick lunch had turned into routine for them.

Makoto was happy with their little arrangement and Neven had kept his promise. She was very much content…until one day she wasn't. She had noticed the uneasy feeling she got around him about a month ago. His easy smiles had started leaving her breathless, the way he always complimented her on the little things made her blush with embarrassment, and the way her heart would beat sporadically anytime she was near him had been troubling.

Somewhere in those four months she had fallen for him, even without meaning to. She hadn't known what to do with this newfound affection, so she'd gone to Zeph for help. Rei had been out of the question, and Minako…she wasn't sure what Minako's deal had been lately. Ami had never been very good when it came to matters of the heart (although her new relationship with Zeph might have made her more suitable) and Usagi would have made a bigger deal of it than it really was. No, her best bet had been Zeph of all people.

On the night that they had been scheduled to patrol together, Makoto had brought up Neven during their normal conversation. He had chatted about his brown haired friend happily but then he'd dropped what felt like a bomb to Makoto. Zeph had, in passing, mentioned that Neven had been seeing a girl and seemed happy. Makoto didn't realize that she could have felt that much anguish over such news. She had completely forgotten to ask Zeph what he thought about her newfound feelings for his friend. The rest of the night had passed by in a blur, as did the week.

And then, last night had happened. It had been Neven's turn to patrol with her. It had been a relatively boring night with no youma to dispatch. They had run around the city in the stifling hot night air with nothing to distract themselves with. Neven had complained about the temperature, tugging on his uniform. And then, with a mischievous look in his eyes, he'd told her she should start a storm. She'd scoffed at the idea, telling him she couldn't control the weather.

Shrugging his shoulders, he'd walked over to a fire hydrant. With one last, mischievous look back at her, he had broken off the top and water had spewed everywhere. He had started laughing as she spluttered at him, shocked as the cold water had hit her. She had marched up to him, soaking wet, and angrily yelled at him for wasting all the water. He shook himself like a wet dog, splashing her with a silly grin on his face.

She had looked up at him in all his glorious skintight uniform and something had stirred deep within her. And, like many times before, her brash, impulsive self won out. She had reached out and kissed him without a second thought. Her skin had tingled at the contact, but then reality had come crashing down on her. He had a girlfriend. She had no business kissing a man with a girlfriend. She had pulled away from him like she'd been electrocuted.

She had mumbled some stupid excuse and teleported straight to her apartment without letting him say a word. She'd thrown herself angry into a chair, not caring that she was wet. She had felt humiliated, guilty, and angry.

And now here she was, tipsy on rum and trying to forget that last night had ever happened. Makoto groaned as her mind replayed their kiss again and again. What had she been thinking? She had been the one that had practically told him she didn't want anything to do with him. She had been the one that had uttered the dreaded words of just friends. When he had finally moved on, when she no longer could have him, was when she wanted him the most.

_What a piece of work I am_, she thought bitterly. Eyeing the rum bottle like her current predicament had been its fault, Makoto sighed to herself. Deciding she clearly had had enough to drink, she stashed the rum bottle away for another day. Working meticulously, she started layering Usagi's cake. Even if she were tipsy, her work didn't suffer. Not that Usagi would care; she would eat whatever Makoto had made for her with a happy smile on her face. She placed the first layer of cake down and then smothered it with the new filling, spreading it evenly. She took the second layer and gently placed it on top, coating it with another generous amount of chocolate filling. Makoto heard her phone buzz, signaling a new text message. She ignored it, knowing it'd probably be Minako saying she'd be late.

When she was finished with the third layer, she grabbed the hot pink fondant she had already prepared from the fridge. Carefully covering the cake with the fondant, Makoto trimmed the excess from the bottom, making sure it was all smoothed out. She grabbed her piping bag and made some random designs on the cake, adding a few flowers into the mix. Makoto eyed the finished cake; making small adjusts with her piping bag as she saw fit.

Happy with her final product, she carefully placed the cake inside her fridge. It had taken her the better part of a day to finish Usagi's cake, including her little trip down memory lane. It was already late afternoon as Makoto began humming a song as she cleaned up her kitchen. She still felt slightly buzzed from all the rum she'd consumed, so her washing of dishes were randomly interrupted with bursts of little dance moves. Her hands were full of soapsuds when someone knocked on her door.

"Dammit Minako! How many times have I told you there's a spare key in my potted plant!" Makoto angrily shouted as she wiped her hands on a dishtowel, stomping her way to her front door. She yanked her door open, ready to berate her friend when she stopped short in surprise. With a little squeak, she slammed the door shut. She could feel her face heat up from embarrassment as her brain seemed to short circuit.

"Makoto, I'm coming in," Neven said through the door.

"Wait, don't-!" She hurriedly began, starting for the door only to have it smack her in the face as it swung open. She cursed as she clutched her nose, her eyes watering from the pain.

"Oh shit! Are you ok?" Neven asked as he rushed to her side, concern evident in his eyes and body posture. He hunched over to better see, placing a hand on the small of her back. His unruly hair tickled her cheeks; he was so close.

"I'm fine," Makoto said as she tried to inch away from his touch. "I probably deserved it," she thought out loud. She pulled her hand away, inspecting it for blood. There was none. If she were lucky, there'd be minimal bruising and her nose would just be tender to the touch for a few days.

"I'd say that's a harsher punishment than what I would've given you for slamming the door in my face." He eyed her nose, making sure she looked fine, a small grin on his face.

Makoto was acutely aware she was standing in front of Neven half naked. She tried edging closer to her couch to block his view. "I wasn't expecting you, that's why I was a little surprised."

"It's really hot in your apartment," Neven commented, wiping his brow as beads of sweat began to pool there.

"Yeah, my A.C. broke," she said distractedly, eyeing her couch. Just a few more steps and she'd be safely behind it.

"Ah, that explains your outfit. Or lack there of."

Makoto stopped moving and turned her head towards Neven. She caught him eyeing her legs before his eyes snapped back up towards her face. The appreciative look he was giving her made her squirm a little.

"I told you not to come in for a reason! Stop staring!" She gritted out as his eyes once again dropped below her face.

"It's a little hard not to when you're flaunting your assets at me," he teased.

"Oh shut up before I smack that grin off your face! What the hell are you doing here anyway?" Her temper flared as his smile grew wider.

"I wanted to talk about last night."

And with those words her temper ebbed away, to be replaced with a hollow feeling. She debated playing dumb, but quickly dismissed the thought. Guilt quickly filled her mind and she groaned inwardly.

"Look, that was a mistake, I know. I should've never kissed you. That must've put you in an awkward position, having to explain that to your girlfriend. I completely understand if you never want to hang out with me again. I am so sorry." Makoto knew she was babbling, but the words kept spilling from her mouth.

Neven looked at her with a confused expression as she kept pacing around her living room, completely abandoning her quest to hide behind her couch. "Wait, what? Makoto, what are you talking about?"

She whirled around to face him. "Stop staring at my ass and pay attention! I doubt your girlfriend would enjoy the fact that you keep ogling me!"

"Girlfriend?" He asked, frowning at her.

"Yes, girlfriend. Your girlfriend you big oaf!" Makoto said, exasperated. "You know, the one Zeph told me about when I asked about-" Makoto clamped her mouth shut, looking horrified at her slip.

"Zeph told you I had a girlfriend?" Neven parroted, a bemused smile on his face.

Makoto's heart dropped at the smile. Makoto had already felt crummy and, coupled with the rum currently running through her bloodstream, she felt she'd be an emotion wreck any second now. Once again she felt all the fight leave her body. Makoto felt emotionally exhausted and just wanted him out of her apartment so she could wallow in self-pity alone.

"Yes. So there's really no need for you to explain yourself. I already know your situation. It won't happen again," she dully stated, making her way to her door and opening it, hoping he'd get the hint. She couldn't bear to look at him so she stared at the wall instead.

Makoto heard him cross the room swiftly. Neven stopped in front of her and gently pried her fingers from the doorknob. She watched as he closed her door and locked it, her mind blank and her body rigid.

"You silly girl," he whispered as he tilted her chin up. Makoto's eyes met his and she fought back the tears that threatened to spill. "There's no one else. There will never be anyone else. Everyone else pales in comparison to you, Makoto."

The tears she'd been holding back fell from her eyes as she closed them tightly shut. Makoto felt his lips brush against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down, deepening the kiss.

Neven was the one to break the kiss, a wolfish grin on his face. "Is that rum I taste?"

"Maybe," Makoto said, a little embarrassed.

Neven threw his head back and laughed. "Are you drunk?" He asked in-between fits of laughter.

Makoto disentangled herself from him and swatted him playfully. "No! I stopped drinking before I got to that point."

Neven chuckled. "And here I was going to ravish you, but now I can't. It'd be like I was taking advantage of tipsy Mako."

"Tipsy Mako wants to be ravished," Makoto teased. She grabbed his hand and led him to her couch. Makoto pushed him and Neven fell back on the couch. She knew that, if he had wanted, he'd still be standing. She straddled him, a playful smile on her lips. She kissed him, a little thrill running up her spine as his tongue met hers. They stayed like that, hands roaming as their lips stayed locked, for a few minutes.

Makoto pulled away slightly, trailing hot kisses along his jawline and down to his neck. She softly grazed her lips over his exposed skin, sometimes nipping, other times sucking gently. She felt his body go rigid underneath hers.

"Makoto," he warned, his voice sounding like a low growl.

Pleased with herself, Makoto stopped and looked at him innocently. "Yes?"

He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "I am not Kaiden. I do not have the best self-control, remember?"

"Who says I want you to?" She asked seriously. She quirked an eyebrow up as he continued to look at her.

Makoto gave a little yelp as she found herself pinned underneath him. Neven ran his calloused hand up her thigh and then underneath her shirt, feeling her taught stomach prickle up in goose bumps. Makoto's breath hitched in her throat when she felt him kiss the path his hand had just made.

"You sure about this?" Neven murmured against her stomach.

Makoto cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. She tugged him back up and gave him a quick peck. She smiled at him and nodded her head, not trusting her voice. He leaned down and captured her lips with his and she arched against him as his free hand slipped lower.

* * *

Makoto slipped a pink tank top over her head and down her torso. The sun was finally beginning to set, but her room still felt relatively warm, even with her fan running on high. She ran a towel through her damp hair as she plopped down on her bed, a content sigh escaping her lips. She glanced at her closed bathroom door with a smile on her face.

Neven was still in the bathroom, finishing up his shower. She had gotten out as soon as her hands started to get all pruney. He'd objected, but she'd silenced him with the promise of food. He had grinned like a small boy, shooing her away.

Makoto stretched out on her stomach as she thought about the ingredients in her fridge. She tried planning a meal, however her mind kept drifting back to how she loved his capable fingers but then a noise interrupted her thoughts.

She pushed her upper body away from the bed, straining to hear. Sure enough, she heard shuffling outside her bedroom. Makoto's heart beat frantically as she hoisted herself up to a sitting position. She had one leg on the floor when her bedroom door burst opened and in came Minako.

Her blonde friend had her long hair up in a messy bun and her hand was clutching the pint of ice cream Makoto had been hoarding away. A spoon was dangling from her mouth as she made her way next to Makoto and sat down.

"Makoto, I'm a wreck!" Minako wailed after she had shoveled another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

Makoto tried to remain calm, but her frantic heart was likely to give her away. "You scared the living shit out of me, Minako! How did you get in here?" Makoto nervously played with her still damp hair.

"Your spare key, duh! Now pay attention, I'm having a crisis!" Minako shoveled more ice cream in her mouth before dramatically setting it on Makoto's nightstand.

Makoto rolled her eyes. "You're late, is what you are." _Thank god_, she added to herself. Any earlier and Minako would have walked into a very awkward and revealing situation.

Minako just waved her comment away. "I texted you. What are you doing?" Minako asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowing at Makoto. Makoto had gotten up and grabbed her beloved ice cream, intending to lead Minako away from her bedroom and the still showering Neven.

"Um, putting this away since you seem to be done? It's making a sticky mess on my nightstand." Makoto feigned exasperation.

"Leave it," Minako commented airily, "I'm more important right now." Minako tugged on Makoto's arm, who bit her lip but let Minako pull her back down onto her bed. With how warm her room still was, that ice cream was going to make a huge mess. Granted that was probably the least of Makoto's worries right now.

Minako laid her head on Makoto's lap. Makoto watched as Minako's bubbly, overdramatic persona slipped off, revealing the weary young woman underneath. "It's really hot in your apartment. No wonder you're prancing around in nothing." Minako poked Makoto's bare leg teasingly.

"What's wrong, Minako?" Makoto asked, noting the melancholy voice her friend had spoken in. She gently tugged Minako's hair lose and ran her fingers through Minako's lemon blonde locks. Minako sighed, her cool breath hitting Makoto's bare thighs. Makoto struggled to remain in the present as Minako's breath reminded her of Neven and ice cubes and what he'd done…

Minako's voice snapped her out of her memories and Makoto felt herself flush in embarrassment. "What?" Her voice came out breathy and Makoto cleared her throat before trying again. "Speak up. I can barely hear you since you're practically speaking to my crotch."

Minako giggled. "I asked you if the universe was looking down on me and laughing."

"Why's that?"

"Because! I'm supposed to be the senshi of love and my love life has always been a mess! It's like some sick joke! Whenever I try to grasp some semblance of what love is; it slips past my fingers!" Minako had abandoned her post on Makoto's lap. She stared at Makoto with a sad look, her normally bright cornflower blue eyes dull. "Kunzite, Ace, all those random guys I didn't even bother to remember their names, and now Kaiden."

Makoto's pulse quickened at the mention of the shitennou, her eyes shifting to her bathroom door and then back at Minako. "What about Kaiden?" Makoto asked, a little distracted. Had Neven turned off the shower after hearing Minako's voice?

"He's…we're…it's…Ugh, I don't know what we are!" Minako stomped off the bed, frustration evident as she paced around the room. Makoto eyed her friend with an annoying gnawing feeling in her stomach. Minako was making her antsy.

"Hey Makoto?"

"Hmm?" Makoto watched as Minako stopped pacing, her eyes staring intently at the floor. When Minako looked back up at her, there was a wide grin on her face and a wicked glint to her eyes.

"Is that men's clothes I see?" Minako asked slyly.

Makoto froze, her eyes glancing to the floor. From her position on the bed, she couldn't make out what had caught Minako's eyes. "Um, what?" She asked weakly. She couldn't remember where Neven had tossed his clothes.

"Come to think of it, the shower was running when I got here, and yet you were in your room fully clothed when I came in." Minako stood with her arms crossed, smiling like the Cheshire cat.

Makoto couldn't help it. Her traitorous eyes peered at the bathroom door before she could stop herself. She watched, as if in slow motion, Minako bolt to the bathroom door. Makoto jumped out of bed, attempting to tackle Minako before she opened the door.

"Minako! Don't!" She shouted as she wrapped her arms around Minako's legs. Minako had reached the bathroom's door handle, so when Makoto's body collided with hers, the momentum pushed the door open, and with it, both women flew in. They went sprawling over each other, landing on the tiled floor in a mess of limbs.

Neven stood a little over them in only a towel wrapped around his lower half. He had an amused grin on his face as he eyed them both. Makoto's face felt like it was on fire.

"Oh hello Neven. Fancy seeing you here." Minako smirked wide at them, as if she wasn't currently laying on the floor with Makoto half on top of her.

"You know, I normally don't like sharing Makoto. But for you, I'll make an exception," Neven teased.

"Neven!" Makoto spluttered.

Minako laughed. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, Makoto. It's not like he suggested a threesome."

"I wouldn't be opposed to one." Neven smiled devilishly.

Minako burst into a fit of laughter, tears streaming out of her eyes. "You guys sure know how to cheer a girl up," Minako finally said after calming down.

Makoto groaned. "You guy's are ridiculous!" She got up and pulled Minako along with her. "Come on, help me make dinner. You can finish up telling me about Kaiden."

"Or, you can tell me how this happened." Minako wiggled her finger at them both.

"Sorry, we don't kiss and tell," Neven answered as he followed them both out to the bedroom.

"Ah, well, sorry to burst your bubble, Neven, but by the next girl's only brunch, we'll know all about your dirty little bed secrets. Like your O-face." Minako winked at him.

"Minako!" Makoto and Neven both shouted, tinges of red marring both their cheeks. Minako just laughed as she made her way to the kitchen.

* * *

And there you have it! Hope you enjoyed it! Comment back what you think! Also, I have two little one-shots centered around Minako/Kunzite I've been working on. So don't fret, they'll get their dues! The stories will definitely be a lot shorter than this one. This one turned into a behemoth. It seems I'm incapable of writing shorties, so I made it a goal with the Minako/Kunzite one (also why I'm giving them two, to be fair).

I've also been mulling over this grand idea I've had to commemorate the Sailor Moon reboot. Since the original came out in the 90s, I was thinking about taking those awesome pop songs from the 90s/ early 2000s era and writing a story about each couple inspired by one of those songs! I've got an idea for Ami's already, but if you'd like to suggest some of your favorite songs of that era, please comment with what you think! I'd love to get feedback on it!


	4. Drive Freaking Drive

Here is the M/K I promised forever ago. This was supposed to be the shorter of the two stories I worked on, but lo-and-behind, it turned out longer than I originally planned. I seriously cannot write super short stories it seems. This one is shorter than the other three, so there's that...heh. I got the idea to write this from an article I saw, so I'll give credit there. I believe it was from a tumbler post and the original poster was quietzombiegirl. So shout out to you!

I have written the other story as well, but I absolutely despise it. It was supposed to be practice for me writing Kunzite since I struggle with him the most and I just didn't like the way it turned out. I'm going to scrap the whole story and redo it, adding in the bits I liked the most. Fingers crossed for that one being short :D Anywho...

Featuring: Minako/Kunzite (with appearances by the inner senshi for fun)  
Universe: A/U. 1960s  
Warnings/ratings: Really, none. This one is pretty tame. I'd say k+.

* * *

Mina ran out of her house, her handmade sign clutched tightly in one hand while her red ribbon hung from her lips. She made her way down the sidewalk, heading towards the bus stop to grab a bus to the downtown area. When the bus arrived, Mina gave her change to the driver and plopped down in an unoccupied seat.

Mina grabbed the fat ribbon from her mouth and wrapped it around her lemon colored hair, tying the ends at the nape of her neck, not really caring what it looked like. Mina hoped that her friend Serena would be running late as well, that way she wouldn't be the only one Rachel reprimanded.

Mina, along with her other friends Rachel and Amelia, had agreed to help Serena and Maddie protest against the cinema they worked at. Mina had no need for an after school job since her parents were wealthy. Rachel and Amelia also came from wealthy families.

They had arranged to meet in front of the ice cream parlor down the street from the cinema. They would be joining the rest of the protestors that afternoon outside it. Mina still wasn't sure exactly why they were protesting; she hadn't really paid attention, she just liked the thought of an adventure.

Mina got out on her stop and quickly made her way to the parlor where she spotted her friends Maddie, Rachel, and Amelia. She waved enthusiastically as she made her way to them.

"You're late," Rachel grumbled as a form of greeting. Her long, raven hair had been styled in a half up half down beehive.

Mina waved her off. "Serena's not here yet."

Maddie rolled her eyes good-naturedly. She had her auburn hair up in its usual ponytail, held by a bright green colored bow. "She's always late."

"Exactly. No point in arriving early if she's never on time."

"Mina does have a point. We've just been standing here waiting for them both. I could've crammed in more homework," Amelia lamented. Mina had convinced Amelia to get a Sassoon haircut like Twiggy's, and she'd been sporting it ever since.

"Oh Amelia you worry too much!" Mina wiggled her finger playfully.

"Someone has to!" Amelia replied, shooing Mina away from her. Mina smiled innocently at her. They all chattered for a few minutes until a distinct wheezing sound floated around the corner. Serena practically came lurching from the corner, out of breath, and fell into the closest bench.

Cheeks rosy from exertion, her long, ash blonde hair looking a little messy in their tradition pigtails, Serena looked like a fish out of water, gasping for air.

"I…missed…the…bus…had…to…run…here," she said in between big lungful's of air.

"Typical," Rachel sighed, rubbing her temple. She started heading inside the ice cream parlor. "Might as well take a seat ladies, we'll be here for awhile."

Serena shot Rachel a nasty look. "Hey, you big meanie!" She whined.

"Where are you going, Rae?" Mina asked as she sat down next to Serena. Maddie and Amelia sat down on the opposite bench. Amelia placed all of their signs next to her in a neat pile. Maddie grabbed Serena's sign and inspected it. She scrunched up her nose at the pitiful state it was in, with its battered and torn edges.

"Getting all of us milkshakes, especially for this dweeb since she looks like she's about to keel over and die."

Serena playfully stuck out her tongue at Rachel's retreating form. Mina smiled warmly at them both. When Rachel and the boy came back with the milkshakes, they sipped them while catching up. Soon enough they were headed down to the protest.

The horde gathered there was large, larger than Mina had imagined. They had all crowded around, their signs held high, voices carrying across as they shouted their slogans. The fuzz had assembled as well. They stood rigidly across the crowd, their batons held tightly in their hands. Mina narrowed her eyes. She wasn't sure why there was a need for them, but it made her wary. She glanced at Rachel. The unspoken look Rachel threw back at her told her everything; Rachel felt just as uneasy as she did.

* * *

The protestors grew in size as the day wore on. It was a humid day out and the crowd became more restless with the heat that didn't dissipate. Soon enough a few, rowdy people edged closer to the fuzz. They started yelling at them, waving their signs right in the officer's faces. Mina watched tensely as the fuzz barked out orders. One bold protester went up to a fuzz and spat in his face.

Mina blinked. Chaos ensued. The roar of the crowd was deafening as the fuzz grabbed the man and cuffed him. Half the crowd pushed onwards, towards the fuzz, angrily retaliating. The other half turned and ran, screaming as they plowed down anyone that got in their way.

"Run!" Mina screamed, grabbing Rachel's hand and tugging her along with her as a man almost knocked her over. She saw Maddie practically drag Serena to her feet as the blonde stumbled. All five of them broke from the crowd, pumping their arms as they ran towards an alleyway. Mina chanced a look behind her. She spotted a fuzz that had given chase.

She stopped abruptly. "You guys go on ahead."

"Don't be ridiculous! Everyone knows I'm faster than you!" Maddie said, stepping towards Mina.

Mina couldn't argue with that. "True, but I'm not the one that has two strikes already against me. Go on, I'll be right behind you guys."

Mina saw the guilty look Maddie threw at her before Rachel tugged her along. Amelia hesitated. "Take a right at the fork, then another right when it splits up again. It should double back close to the ice cream parlor. Maybe Andrew will vouch for you if you flirt with him." Mina smiled at Amelia's brashness as she watched her run after the other girls.

"Hey stop!" The fuzz yelled as he made his way closer to her. She took of towards the right, hoping he'd go after her and not her friends. He hesitated for a split second before chasing after her. Mina smiled.

When the alleyway split into three, she darted right as Amelia instructed, putting on a burst of speed to reach the ice cream parlor before the fuzz had gotten a good look at her. As she burst forth out into the street and across it, she knew the fuzz would recognize her even if she pretended to have been at the parlor the whole time.

She glanced around her surroundings hurriedly, her mind and heart racing. She spotted a man leaning against his motorbike, arms crossed as if waiting for someone. Without really thinking, she ran towards him. He looked her way as he heard her approach, his gray eyes betraying nothing.

"Drive. Freaking drive." Mina was near hysterics now. She had heard rumors about the inner workings of a jail and didn't fancy on finding out if they were true or not.

He casually looked down at her, his piercing gaze making Mina shift uncomfortably. He was unnaturally tall, with a strong jaw line and such fine, blond hair that reached his shoulders. He glanced at the incoming fuzz, then back to Mina, and then threw a quick look at the ice cream parlor.

Mina had half a mind to steal his bike and try operating it herself when he swung his leg over the bike and kicked the stand out. He gave her a pointed look as the bike roared to life. Mina squeaked and scrambled up the bike, not exactly sure where to place her hands.

"Hold on," he casually stated. The bike lurched and Mina instinctively wrapped her arms around his torso. She felt like she was flying as they made their escape, a giddy feeling bubbling in the pit of her stomach. Mina turned her head to see the fuzz shout something at them, but they were too far away for her to make it out.

Mina giggled, the excitement she felt washing over her in waves. They drove in silence, Mina enjoying the way his back would stiffen when she moved. He finally pulled into a gas station. His long legs supported the bike as he sat up. Mina removed her arms from his torso, almost regretfully. She looked around, but didn't recognize where they were.

"I'd take you home, but I don't really know where that is on account of you practically demanding a ride without directions." His voice sounded calm and Mina couldn't be certain if he was angry or not.

"Yeah, thanks, for…um, that." She laughed nervously. "Where exactly are we?"

"Between 2nd and Park," he said, shifting the bike's weight a little. Mina still didn't know where that was. She had never been good with street names.

"Right. And how far away is that from Main and Maple?"

He looked at her dubiously. "Too far away to walk if that's what you're asking."

"You…don't mind taking me home?"

"I'm not going to leave a girl stranded somewhere she clearly doesn't recognize." That hadn't been the answer she was expecting, but she'd take it.

"Main and Maple it is then!" Mina gave him a huge smile and he responded with a curt nod of his head.

* * *

When they got to Main and Maple, he drove a little further down Main, stopping at a random house. He turned his bike off, sitting erect with a hand extended out. Mina took it and swung off; glad she had worn practical clothes to the protest. She knew she looked a mess but tried patting down her hair and clothes.

"Thanks…for the ride and…um…saving me back there." Mina smiled shyly at him. Normally she'd be flirting shamelessly with him, given how handsome he was, but she felt a little out of her element with him.

"You're welcome," he said curtly. His gray eyes remained impassive as he stared at her.

"My name's Mina. Mina Ackerman." Mina stuck her hand out

He stared at her warily before taking her hand. "Kevin."

His rough hand dwarfed hers and he quickly withdrew it. Mina smirked. As hard as he tried to hide it, she caught the curiosity that flickered across his eyes before they dulled back to normal.

"Well, thanks again, Just Kevin. I owe you one. If you ever need any help with anything, you know where I live." Mina winked at him. She started walking towards her house, a few doors down from where he sat stock still from her comment.

"Ms. Ackerman!" Kevin shouted after her. Mina stopped and turned around, holding in a grin. "There might be something you could help me with."

* * *

He watched her tuck in their youngest with a small smile on his face. He had listened to her tell their three children their favorite bedtime story secretly from his office. Now he stood just outside of the door, peaking in. She quietly closed the door, leaving a small crack for their cat to come and go as he pleased.

He easily pulled her into an embrace, settling his chin on top of her head as his arms went around her chest. She melted back into him with a content sigh.

"You know that's not how the story went."

She laughed softly, turning around in his arms to face him, her big cornflower blue eyes full of mirth. He let his hands fall slowly down to her back. She tilted her head to the side, a smile playing on her lips. "Is that so?"

"If I recall, you were the one that came on to me."

She pretended to be deep in thought as she squinted up at him. "Mmm, nope! I'm pretty sure I told it exactly right." She stood on tiptoes and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Besides, you never even thanked me for helping you get rid of Brenda." She poked him in the chest playfully.

He gave her an incredulous look. "You owed me, remember?"

She shrugged her shoulders, feigning innocence. "Brenda was crazy. That's enough to warrant an I-owe-you-again."

He studied her quietly for a few seconds. Before she had a chance to wiggle free, he scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder. She shrieked as he made his way to their bedroom.

"Kevin, what are you doing?" She pounded lightly on his back to make him let go.

He chuckled. "Thanking you like you asked. Apparently I haven't done a good enough job of it."

* * *

Oh Kunzite, why must you be so difficult to write?! I feel like he's still a little OOC, especially towards the end, but whatever. I hope you guys enjoyed the fluff here. I know it wasn't a lot, but I really wanted to keep this shorter than normal. Comment and let me know if you loved/hated it! I'm always down for some critiques.


	5. Venustus

This is the second short story featuring M/K. I did scrap almost everything from the original story I had written and rewrote it. Of course during that process, I made this story longer. Alas, I'm doomed to never be able to make short drabbles of only paragraphed lengths. Only time will tell if that's a bad thing, ;).

Featuring: Minako/Kunzite (small appearance by Jadeite. To tease Kunzite. Of course.)  
Universe: A/U Silver Millennium  
Warnings/Ratings: I'd say M just to be on the safe side. Minako brings out Kunzite's naughty side :). Rest assured, nothing graphic.

* * *

"So what brings you out here to the spirits sections? Or better yet, should I say who does?" Jadeite gave him a sly, knowing smile. Kunzite didn't give Jadeite the satisfaction of seeing him squirm. Even if the blond general was right, Kunzite would rather die than to admit it. He'd been avoiding a certain golden haired princess all night. And he'd been rather successful at it thus far.

His gray eyes followed her form twirl around on the dance floor with another man clutching her tightly. He felt the crippling fingers of jealousy start clawing at his heart so he adverted his eyes. If his friend noticed, he made no comment.

He had never been so enraptured by a woman before. Normally, he'd spurn them with a cold indifference, only inviting one to his chambers when his needs arose. But she had been different. He'd ordinarily been clear headed around the vixens, but she'd woven a web around him, clouding his mind and his better judgment with a simple upturn of her lips. She hadn't even gone out of her way to capture his attention, like how the other women had tried before her. And that made her dangerous.

He'd been pleasant to her when manners dictated, but he'd kept his distance. But even that had proven problematic given his prince's growing love for her ward. Kunzite's gaze went to rest on Prince Endymion, who had the Princess Serenity snuggled close as they danced. When the music died down, Kunzite watched as his ward whispered something in Princess Serenity's ear. The young princess blushed prettily, but nodded her head, and Endymion grabbed her hand, whisking her away quickly towards the doors that led outside.

Kunzite made to follow, but Jadeite's hand on his shoulder prevented him from moving. "Don't worry, I'll make sure they don't get into too much trouble. Besides, I've got a strange sense that you're wanted here." Jadeite smiled gleefully at him as he teleported away, before Kunzite could bark at him to stay. When Jadeite looked that happy, it only meant trouble for him.

Kunzite turned swiftly around to find either Zoicite or Nephrite and immediately saw what had made Jadeite so cheerful. The golden haired Princess Araminta had started to make her way towards him. He had mistakenly locked eyes with her, so he couldn't pretend to not have seen her and make a quick getaway.

She smiled at him as she closed the gap between them and Kunzite made sure she would not sense his unease. "You can't hide from me forever," she teased as she finally stood in front of him. Her golden locks had been styled in an elaborate up do, with a red ribbon interlaced throughout. She looked breathtaking in her yellow gown and Kunzite had to make a conscious effort to not stare.

"Princess Araminta, I assure you I am merely doing my job in protecting my prince," he astutely pointed out.

"Of course, I was only jesting. Looks like Jadeite gave you a hand tonight."

Kunzite nodded his head once, not belaying the inner rage he felt for his blond friend at the moment. "So it would seem." The bastard probably had this planned the entire time.

"Looks like you're free to dance." Her amber eyes sparkled mischievously.

"I'm sorry Princess Araminta, but I don't dance," Kunzite coldly stated. Even to his own ears he sounded machinelike. How many times had he stated that?

His cool indifference didn't seem to dissuade her. "It's rude to turn down a princess. Might even be seen as insubordination to some," she smiled cheekily at him. "Besides," she continued, "I wasn't asking."

She grabbed his hand and dragged him to the dance floor, not waiting for his reply. When the music started, he made sure to keep ample space between them as he stiffly led them across the dance floor. He kept his gaze on the top of her head as he went through the rigid motions.

"I'm surprised you dance so poorly, given how well you fight," she commented airily after a few seconds of silence. Kunzite faltered on the next step, taken by surprise. Araminta used his hesitation to rearrange his hand placements so that they were dancing a lot closer together. Kunzite looked down at her quizzically, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.

"Just pretend you're out on the battle field. You can't be this stiff while fighting; you'd never have lasted so long if you were."

"Are you teaching me how to dance, or how to fight?" His tone was light as he glanced down at her.

She laughed, the sound warm and inviting. It surprised him how much his body responded to it. "The Terrans sing high praise of your powers in battle. I'd be a fool to think you'd need help in that department. Your dancing on the other hand…" She winked at him.

He knew she was baiting him. The challenging look she gave him all but confirmed it. And like a fool, he fell for it. He led her through the intricate steps of the dance, gliding her across the dance floor, this time actually making an effort. All the shitennou had to learn proper etiquettes, dancing included. Kunzite was by no means the best at it, but he could hold his own at court when dictated.

She didn't look surprised when he dipped her low at the end of the song. When he brought her back up, she had a satisfied smile on her face and a knowing look in her amber eyes. She stood on her tiptoes, pressing her body against his as she leaned against him.

"Meet me tonight, in the rose gardens, after 3," she whispered, her breath tickling his ear. Before he had a chance to reply, Araminta quickly curtsied and walked away. Kunzite watched her leave, for once not feeling in control of a situation.

* * *

Kunzite found himself pacing, a habit he all but detested, around his room later in the evening. He had left the ball hours ago, after his dance with Princess Araminta. He had checked up on Jadeite, who had informed him that Zoicite was with their prince now. Nephrite had been nowhere to be found. Kunzite suspected he knew where Nephrite was running off to late at night.

The three chimes signaling the time made Kunzite stop his pacing. He had gone back to his room with the intention of ignoring Princess Araminta's summons. He knew it would be unwise to go and yet here he stood, unable to sleep because of it. Kunzite felt disgusted with himself; here he was, Prince Endymion's top shitennou, hiding from a mere girl. He knew as soon as the thought escaped his mind that it wasn't true. Princess Serenity's sailor senshi's weren't mere girls. They were princesses of their respective planets and, if the rumors were true, fearless warriors.

Which was a conundrum to him. In Terra, women of their status weren't renowned warriors. Perhaps that was her appeal to him. Kunzite glanced at the glowing numbers; if he left now he might still be able to catch her. Kunzite quickly grabbed a jerkin, shoving it over his head while he slipped his feet in his leather boots, not bothering to tuck his breeches into them.

Kunzite slipped through the door and hastily made his way down the hall, making sure no one noticed him on his way. He silently rounded the corner and made his way to the archway that led to the gardens. Kunzite stopped short when he spotted Araminta. He quickly hid behind the wall so as not to disturb her.

He peeked out, watching her wordlessly. She sat on the rim of the fountain, her knees tucked in underneath her chin, her arms clasped around her legs, gazing out over Terra. Her hair fell loosely around her back, her signature red bow nowhere to be seen. Her face appeared clean of any powder or paste. She looked so beautiful, with the light of Terra giving her an ethereal glow. She also looked so young just then.

Kunzite made to leave, but froze when Araminta turned her head and smiled at him. He was enchanted and knew then that she'd be his undoing. "I thought I already warned you about hiding from me," she teased, patting the spot next to her.

Kunzite walked towards her and sat down. She readjusted so that they were sitting shoulder to shoulder. "I wasn't-"

"Ah," she cut him off, "you were planning on leaving before you were caught red-handed." She nudged him playfully with her shoulder, the smile still present on her lips.

"Forgive me for my rudeness."

"And tardiness," she added, winking at him.

He chuckled despite himself. "Yes. It seems I've been rather disrespectful this evening."

She looked up at him, her eyes searching his face. He stared back, his face betraying nothing of the inner turmoil he felt being in close proximity to her. She sighed, breaking their eye contact to stare back up at Terra. He watched her, as she seemed lost in thought for a while.

"Come on, I want to show you something." She stood up gracefully, her lithe form hard to ignore. She tugged at his arm and he rose, letting her lead him further into the gardens. They walked in companionable silence, Kunzite watching her from the corner of his eye. She soon stopped in front of what looked like fruit trees. The fat oddly shaped golden things hung low on the branches.

Araminta stood on tippy toes and grasped one in her hand, tugging lightly. The branch snapped back from the force, the other branches rustling from the disturbance. "Venustas," she informed, rubbing the fruit with the palm of her hand. "They're exclusive to Venus. They so happen to be my favorite as well." She bit into it, the red juice escaping her lips. Her pink tongue darted out and captured it before it ran down further.

She grinned at him as she extended her arm out, the fruit clasped innocently in her hand. Kunzite cautiously took it from her. He inspected it, noting the glimmer of its skin and blood red innards. He took a bite, the tartness hitting his taste buds first. The taste wasn't unpleasant as the tartness subsided the more he chewed. He felt some of the juice escape his mouth but before he had a chance to wipe it off, Araminta's thumb brushed at the corner of his lips. His body stiffened as he watched her lick her thumb.

"Do you know what an aphrodisiac does?" She whispered, her voice low and throaty. She had a predatory look in her eyes as she glanced up at him through golden lashes.

Kunzite felt like his veins were on fire. He dropped the fruit, angry with himself for falling for her tricks. "What did you do?" He croaked. She smiled as she placed a hand on his chest. Even through his jerkin, her touch felt like fire burning his skin. His senses were flooded with the smell of her, the feel of her body as it pressed closer to his, the heat radiating off of her like a hot summer day. He grasped her shoulders rather roughly, stopping her in her tracks.

"Don't," he grunted. He could feel his resolve slipping through his fingers.

A throaty laugh escaped her lips. She took his shaking hands and lowered it down to her hips, pressing her body flush to his. She seemed to melt into him, their bodies fitting perfectly as she slipped an arm up and around his neck, bringing him closer. Her soft lips brushed his and it sent a jolt down his abdomen. He could feel her smile against his lips and it was pure agony.

Kunzite crushed her lips with his, entangling his hand through her golden locks. Her mouth, her tongue, it was all too much and not enough. He growled low as he felt her hot breath meet the sensitive part on his neck. She was intoxicating and all he wanted to do was drown in her. His hands found the laces on her back and he began to undo them, wanting to take her right there in the gardens, not caring if somebody stumbled upon them.

She pulled back abruptly and stopped him. Her chest rose and fell quickly, distracting him. The need to feel her soft skin became almost unbearable. He took a step towards her but she stepped back.

"This isn't exactly an ideal place for this."

A frustrated sound escaped his lips, but he nodded his head. As quickly as he could, he took her in his arms and teleported back into his chambers. Her surprised gasp quickly turned into a moan as he trailed hot kisses down her neck. His nimble fingers made quick work of her bodice and he'd been vaguely aware of her tugging his tunic up and over his head.

She was just as beautiful as he imagined her to be, all curves and sun kissed skin. His eyes settled on a golden symbol near her hipbone. His eyes flickered up to hers and then back down. He traced the symbol with his thumb softly, eliciting a small shiver from her.

"It's the sign of Venus," she said, her breath catching as his hand ran up her side and rested under the swell of her breast. He leaned back down and kissed her softly. Kunzite vaguely wondered what the repercussion would be but all thoughts were cleared from his mind as soon as she moaned his name, the need in it apparent.

He hoisted her up and she obliged by wrapping her long legs around his waist. He guided them down to his bed, his mind spinning from the sensation of her underneath him. His mind only registered her soft moans and pants, her nails digging into his back, and the way her body responded to his touch.

* * *

She listened to his heartbeat softly as she lay awake. His even breathing ruffled the top of her head as she snuggled in closer to his chest. She traced one of his many scars lazily with a finger as she thought about what she'd done, a small smile playing on her lips. He'd be angry, she knew.

Sighing, she disentangled herself from his arms and legs and quietly slipped out of the bed. She found her dress and tossed it on without bothering to lace most of it up. The sun started to peak through the windows, its rays washing the room in a soft, golden hue. She felt him watching her as she finished gathering her things.

"You're angry," she commented casually, not bothering to look at him just yet. The room remained quiet. Araminta eyed him as she ran her fingers through her knotted hair. Kunzite looked at her impassively, but the slight crinkling of his eyes told her he was upset.

"That fruit…what it did to me…" Kunzite had sat up, the sheets falling down to pool around his waist. He turned cool gray eyes towards her.

Araminta couldn't help the grin that appeared on her face. "The venustus holds no power. It did not make you do anything you already didn't want to do."

The slight narrowing of his eyes told her he didn't believe her. "You lied then?"

Araminta shook her head. "No. I never once told you the fruit did anything. If you recall, I just asked you a question. It is not my fault you jumped to conclusions. I can't complain that you did, though."

She winked at him, blew him a kiss, and then teleported out of his room. Kunzite gazed at the spot she had just inhabited, feeling bewildered for the first time in his life. He'd been bested by her once again.

* * *

Venustus means beauty in Latin. I found it appropriate. So there was my attempt in getting inside Kunzite's brain. Hopefully it was satisfactory! Let me know your thoughts in your reviews!

On the drawing board are still some 90s song inspired fics and whatever my crazy brain comes up with. If you have any suggestions, send them my way!


	6. Photograph

My first Mamoru and Usagi short story! Every time I heard this song, I always pictured these two. So I imagined this little scenario that sort of kinda fits with the song. Sort of. I hope you guys enjoy!

Featuring: Mamoru/Usagi (small appearances by the inner senshi via cell phone)  
Universe: Modern  
Warnings/Ratings: None. Pretty mild here. k+

The song is called Photograph and it's by Ed Sheeran. I don't own the song nor the characters!

* * *

_**Loving can hurt**_

_**Loving can hurt sometimes**_

_**But it's the only thing that I know**_

_**When it gets hard**_

_**You know it can get hard sometimes**_

_**It is the only thing that makes us feel alive**_

Mamoru watched as the sun peaked through his blinds, his eyes following the rays as it hit his work desk. He'd allowed himself to stay in bed for a bit before getting up for the day. It was a rare occurrence when he had "lazy time", as he had dubbed it. Fighting crime as his alter ego had slowly dwindled down, so that rarely took up much of his time nowadays. Now he was normally busy with all his medical schoolwork, or trying to fit in time to talk to Usagi.

Mamoru sighed, running his hand through his unkempt hair. That'd been the hardest. Leaving Usagi for medical school. He knew she'd been happy for him and this wonderful opportunity, but he also knew how she felt living so far away. He struggled with it as well. Being away from her felt like a part of him was missing. His heart gave a little lurch, as it did sometimes when he missed her. Mamoru rolled over towards his nightstand and rummaged around one of the drawers, his eyebrows scrunched up in concentration.

_**We keep this love in a photograph**_

_**We made these memories for ourselves**_

_**Where our eyes are never closing**_

_**Hearts are never broken**_

_**And time's forever frozen still**_

The girls had given him an album as a going away present. Whenever he felt homesick, he'd flip through the pages and reminisce on all the wonderful memories he'd made with them. He grabbed the album now, laying it on his lap and gently flipping through the pages. A small smile spread across his face as his eyes scanned the photos. His eyes finally landed on the photo he'd been truly searching for. The glossy image showed Usagi and him sitting on a picnic blanket. She was nestled between his legs, her back resting on his chest as his arms encircled around her. He'd been showing her some of the school's he'd been applying to. He thought she had been concentrating on the pamphlets in his hands, but the picture showed Usagi staring proudly at him, her big blue eyes full of love.

Minako had taken the candid photo of them (she'd been pretty proud of it) and the picture had quickly become his favorite. He cherished that little photograph of them. He ran his thumb across the picture, wishing in that moment that he could transport back to that time when he was so blissfully happy with her.

A loud rasping noise startled Mamoru out of his reverie. Who could be knocking on his door? Quickly putting away the album back in the drawer, Mamoru made his way to the door, a little unsure of himself. He was still in his pajama bottoms and his hair most likely resembled a bird's nest. He tried flattening it out by patting it down but gave up when his hair didn't cooperate. He unlocked his door and opened it up slowly, an awkward greeting and smile already forming on his lips.

Instead, a small "oomph" escaped his lips as a bundle of blonde tackled him with a hug.

"Usagi?" He couldn't quite make out his girlfriend in all the craziness. It definitely smelled like her, he thought, as the blonde bundle nuzzled closer to him.

"Mamo!" He heard Usagi say into his chest. He smiled and hugged her closer. After awhile she pulled away, a lopsided grin on her face.

"Usagi, what are you doing here?" He grabbed the luggage she'd neglected outside his door and brought it in.

"Surprise?" Usagi said, her arms outstretched and her shoulders shifted slightly up. Mamoru shook his head, but he couldn't help the smile that betrayed his true feelings.

Usagi pouted up at him. "I just couldn't wait that long again to see you so I bought a plane ticket to surprise you and here I am!"

He chuckled at her. "And the girls were ok with this? Or are they here too?" Mamoru glanced around, waiting for another shout of surprises to ring out.

"Nope, just me! They were fine with it, although some of them had to be convinced I could take care of myself."

"I'm sure I could guess who gave you a hard time." Mamoru laughed at Usagi's face. He embraced her and gave her forehead a quick peck. "Regardless, I'm happy you're here. Let me just get dressed real quick and we can go out and I can show you some cool places we have here."

Usagi pulled away from him, her nose scrunched up in disgust. "Not smelling like this I'm not."

Mamoru just stared at his girlfriend. "What?"

"I feel icky from that long plane ride! You can't shower and it's overnight and it's so long and cramped and you can barely move and did I mention you can't shower or move?"

Mamoru leaned down and sniffed her. "You're right, you smell awful." He laughed as he pulled away, Usagi swatting at his shoulder as he did.

"Big meanie," she huffed out.

Mamoru pecked her quickly on the lips. "Go jump in the shower, stinky butt, and I'll make us some breakfast.

Usagi's stomach chose that moment to announce its presence. Usagi smiled sheepishly. "Breakfast sounds amazing!"

Mamoru watched as she skipped happily around his apartment and then into the bathroom. He went about grabbing all the ingredients he'd need to make her a monstrous breakfast as a thank you for the great surprise. Pancakes, French toast, and omelets would do the trick nicely, he thought happily.

**_So you can keep me_**

**_Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans_**

**_Holding me closer 'til our eyes meet_**

_**You won't ever be alone**_

_**And if you hurt me**_

_**That's okay baby, only words bleed**_

_**Inside these pages you just hold me**_

_**And I won't ever let you go**_

_**Wait for me to come home**_

Mamoru had been in the middle of measuring out the flour for the pancakes when a shrill ringing broke his concentration. The latest pop song that Usagi was probably fangirling over could be heard blaring through the bathroom door.

"Mamo? Could you get that for me? It's probably the girls. I forgot to call and let them know I arrived safely and I'm not dead somewhere in the middle of some back alley like Rei thinks I am!" Usagi shrieked happily at him.

Mamoru restrained the urge to roll his eyes. He quickly ran to the bathroom and was assaulted by a blast of steam as soon as he opened the door. He rummaged around the pile of clothes on the floor and found Usagi's phone inside the back pocket of her jeans.

"Hello," he said, stepping outside the bathroom and the crazy steam and closing the door behind him.

"Ah, Mamoru. You're either answering Usagi's phone because you finally found her mangled body outside a back alley where Usagi chased a cute looking kitten and met her untimely death or she forgot to give us a call like we asked."

Mamoru chuckled. "It's nice to talk to you too, Rei."

"We're all on the line, actually. Thanks to Ames genius way with technology," Mamoru heard Minako's sunny voice come through.

"It's really not that difficult, Minako. There's a huge button that says add another caller right there."

"Oh whatever. Some of us just can't be bothered with trivial matters."

Mamoru bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing. He forgot how much he missed the other girls. He kept silent as Rei joined in the squabble.

"ANYWAYS," Makoto's booming voice drowned out the other three girls, "we were just checking up on Usa, making sure she arrived safely into your care. We'll let you go and facetime you guys later to catch up. I know you must be busy cooking her up something tasty for breakfast."

"How'd you know?" Mamoru asked dubiously.

He heard Makoto scoff. "Please. Airplane food could only last about two hours in that girl's stomach."

"Does anything last in her stomach? Girl's a black hole," Rei mumbled.

"Ah…we've taken enough of your time Mamoru. You guys take care and we'll catch up with you later."

"Thanks Ami. Mako, Rei, Minako, it's always a pleasure. You girls take care!" Mamoru heard a chorus of well wishes and goodbyes before he hung up Usagi's phone.

As he tried shutting the case, a few things fell to the floor. _Leave it to Usagi to haphazardly throw things into her wallet/case combo_. It was a miracle she hadn't lost anything important yet. He began to pick up her cards and i.d. when a folded up picture caught his attention. Mamoru unfolded it, scanning the image curiously. It was the same picture he'd been looking at just before Usagi's big entrance. The picture was worn out in places where Usagi had folded it and unfolded it so many times. The edges had been worn through and it had lost its shine with so many finger print smudges scattered around.

Mamoru laughed to himself a little. He could tell how much she adored the picture, just like he did, regardless how banged up hers was compared to his. He put away the picture in its hiding spot and placed her phone on his table, an idea forming in his mind.

_**Wait for me to come home**_

_**Wait for me to come home**_

_**Wait for me to come home**_

_**You can fit me**_

_**Inside the necklace you got when you were sixteen**_

_**Next to your heartbeat where I should be**_

_**Keep it deep within your soul**_

_**And if you hurt me**_

_**Well, that's okay baby, only words bleed**_

_**Inside these pages you just hold me**_

_**And I won't ever let you go**_

_**When I'm away, I will remember how you kissed me**_

_**Under the lamppost back on Sixth street**_

_**Hearing you whisper through the phone,**_

_**"Wait for me to come home."**_

Usagi stepped out of the shower, the steam curling around her body as she reached for a towel. She quickly dried herself off, not wanting to leave a mess for Mamoru. Unlike her, he was quite the neat freak. She stepped out of the bathroom, shivering a little when the cooler air of the apartment hit her still damp skin. It was eerily silent and Usagi took a few hesitant steps towards the kitchen.

"Mamo?" She called out softly, glancing around. Her eyes landed on the table sprawled out with an abundance of food. Momentarily forgetting about the whereabouts of Mamoru, Usagi made a beeline for the table. Her eyes took it all in as she took a huge whiff of it. It smelt absolutely delicious. There were certain items she couldn't even name, but was excited to dig into. She started reaching for the pancakes when a white note, tucked underneath the maple syrup, caught her eye. She gently tugged at it, being careful to not get the sticky liquid all over the place. Usagi smiled as she read it.

_Dear Usagi,  
Had to run out and grab a few things. Hope you enjoy breakfast! Go ahead and dig in without me.  
Love, Mamoru  
P.S. Change into clothes before eating! I don't want a wet Usagi on my chairs!_

Usagi had been in the process of shoveling another French toast into her mouth when she heard Mamoru open the door. She quickly chewed as she bounded towards him. She had begrudgingly changed into clothes before digging into the wonderful food.

"Mamo! Breakfast was scrumptious! You really outdid yourself this time. Mako will totally be jealous when I tell her how good you've gotten!" She went in for a kiss, bracing herself on Mamoru's chest and stretching to the tips of her toes. Mamoru smiled and quickly pecked her.

Usagi pouted. "I want more kisses!" She knew she sounded whiny, but she'd traveled so far to see him and she deserved more than just a peck.

Mamoru's eyes crinkled up, as his smile grew bigger. "Just a second, love. I promise to give you a million kisses. But first," he paused, his voice sounding serious. His eyes still sparkled mischievously and it sent a small shiver of anticipation up Usagi's spine. "You must close your eyes and hold out your hands."

Usagi scrutinized him, trying to find any signs of what he was up to, but Mamoru had always been hard to read. Sighing in resignation, Usagi complied. She heard him fumbling around with something and then felt his hands graze hers before a small, cold object replaced it.

Puzzled, Usagi opened her eyes. Usagi gasped as she brought the golden star necklace closer for inspection. She realized it was a locket as she pushed the little trinket and it popped open. Inside was her favorite picture of them. The one she secretly carried around with her at all times. Usagi felt the sting of tears as she looked up at Mamoru. She couldn't make out his expression through the fuzziness her tears were causing.

"Do you like it?" He asked softly.

Usagi choked back a sob, a nasty sound escaping her lips as she tried to answer. She sounded like a blubbering idiot, not at all sexy. She probably looked a mess; tear streaked cheeks and mascara running. Her nose definitely had boogers spewing out. She sniffled, trying to gain control of her emotions and traitorous nose.

"I love it," she finally got out, her voice sounding scratchy even to her own ears. Mamoru smiled beautifully at her. He wiped her tears away with the pads of his thumbs.

He took the locket from her. "Let me," he murmured, slipping the locket over her head and clasping it on. It fell perfectly between her chest, nestled near her heart. He leaned in close, his forehead resting perfectly against hers.

"I love you," he whispered. He kissed her and she felt his hand run to her lower back, bringing her closer to him. She happily pressed against him, kissing him back.

Usagi pulled away after awhile and nuzzled into his chest. She could hear his heart beating strongly through his shirt. "I love you too, Mamo."

* * *

I want to say this was shorter than normal! Progress! Hope you guys enjoyed this little story! Let me know what you think in the comments and once again, if you have any requests hit me up!


	7. An Accident

Ok so I have this weird little short story and wasn't sure where to place it, but then decided why not place it among the rest, so here it is! I wrote this piece because I always wondered how the girls dealt with not only their past memories/deaths, but also having to fight their (now canon) lovers that had turned evil. I figured they must have had some form of PTSD. They seemed so cool with all of it and figured no way they're this normal about it. No lovey-dovey story on this one! Sorry if that's what you guys expected from the latest update.

Featuring: Minako and Rei (with a special guest appearance)  
Universe: Random. A "what-if"  
Warnings/Ratings: A little dark with a few curse words thrown in. T for sure.

* * *

The shrill music blaring from somewhere to her left made Minako curse her phone. With a groan she swung her arm around, fishing for her phone while trying to blink the sleep away. Whoever was calling her so early on a Sunday morning had better have a wonderful excuse.

Minako didn't even bother to check who had called her. Jamming her finger on the green dot, she rolled over and closed her eyes. Her room was way too bright and she could feel a killer headache coming on.

"This better be good," she mumbled.

"Minako, I need your help."

Minako blinked a couple of times. It was Rei. Asking for help. Hell must have frozen over. She pulled her phone away from her ear to double check her hearing hadn't left her. Nope, it was definitely Rei calling.

"I think I killed a civilian," she heard Rei whisper.

Minako sat bolt upright and immediately regretted it. Her room spun and she felt nauseous. Those last three shots last night suddenly didn't sound like such a good idea.

"Rei, if this is a joke, it's not a very good one," she commented, closing her eyes and praying for the room to stop spinning. Was she still drunk?

"I'm not joking!" Rei half whispered, half screamed at her.

"We can't go around killing civilians! What were you thinking?" Maybe she was still drunk because a little giggle escaped her lips. She slapped her hand across her mouth in horror. This was no time for her to start panicking. She was their leader and she needed to start acting like it.

"It was an accident!" Rei gritted back, sounding slightly shifty.

Minako paused from getting out of bed, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Rei…" She began, her voice taking the tone Usagi had dubbed "leader voice".

"What?" Rei snapped back, but the usual snarkiness was nowhere to be found.

Minako's head kept whirling, but not because of the alcohol she had consumed the night before. What had gotten into Rei? Minako normally hated silence and would do everything in her power to fill in the awkward void, but this time she remained silent.

"Look, it was ok? Just drop it. I need you to come down here and help me figure this out."

"No, I won't! You're lying to me! You've always been a horrible liar," she stated. She finally rose out of bed, lurching towards her bathroom. She felt out of sorts, like her mind wasn't attached to her body. This had to be a horrible nightmare she just couldn't wake up from until it relayed its message. Like one of those horror movies she watched.

When Minako heard nothing from the other end, she almost thought Rei had just hung up. She glanced at her phone and saw the seconds tick by, and the slow, panicky feeling began to rise. Finally, she heard an audible sigh from the other line. Too bad the horrible, panicky feeling only seemed to claw faster at her heart.

"I thought it was _him_, Minako. I thought it was him and I…" Rei's voice hitched and the line went quiet again.

Minako felt cold inside. She didn't need to be a mind reader to know whom Rei had meant. Her heart—her very being—had finally been captured by the dreadful monster that called itself fear, and it had a firm grip on her. She wasn't really sure if Rei had managed to say anything else. Her hearing had zeroed in on her hyperactive heartbeat.

She tried to take a calming breath before speaking, and managed a pitiful half-rattle at best. Rei needed her help and she'd be no use to her if she fell apart now. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind, visualizing the air entering her nose and exiting her mouth.

When she knew she would not falter, she pulled the phone back to her ear. "Did anyone see you?"

"No," Rei's clipped tone responded. No hesitation. That was a good sign.

"Where are you now?"

"I stuffed his body in the trunk and drove further out of the city. I stopped after I calmed down and to call you. I'm in the middle of nowhere, basically."

Minako flinched at Rei's words. Her mind began to reel out of control but she grasped at the tiny strands and held on. She would have time later on to break down, but not yet. Not yet.

"Good. I'll be there as soon as I can." She stood and began to rummage in her closest for nondescriptive clothes.

"And the others?"

Minako paused in her search and considered the question. "Don't involve them yet."

* * *

Minako never much cared for driving. With her busy schedule, she rarely had time to drive herself anywhere. She had people for that. The only reason she even had a car was because she had been given one for free for an ad or movie. She had been reminded why she didn't care much for it again as she made her way to Rei's location; too much time to think.

By the time she had pulled her car by Rei's, her mind had spun enough crazy ideas she could feel the beginnings of a slight headache. She slipped out of her car, her blue gaze landing on her dark haired friend. Rei had made no move to acknowledge her. Instead, she kept her back towards her, leaning against the hood of her own car. The sun had already started its assent, throwing its rays across the grassy terrain. It turned everything it touched a soft, golden shade—her favorite color. A slight breeze rustled the wild flowers and tickled her cheeks as it threw her lemon colored hair around her face. The scenery looked peaceful; too bad it did little to ease her mind of the turmoil.

Minako glanced at her phone. The numbers 7:23 flashed up at her. She frowned. Maybe the cause of her headache stemmed from lack of sleep and bouts of alcohol. She walked over to Rei then, the weariness she now felt seeping into her bones.

"How did this happen?" She asked quietly. She watched as Rei's fingers grasped the hood of her car until her knuckles turned white and then her fingers relaxed again.

Rei finally looked at her and Minako almost let out a gasp at what she saw. She expected fury or sadness even, but not the haunted look that swam in violet eyes. Rei looked like shit—paler than normal with dark circles giving her a slight gaunt look. Minako knew that all of them were experiencing some type of insomnia. But now she felt like a horrible leader for not realizing how bad it'd gotten. Were all of their eyes haunted?

Rei cleared her throat and shifted her eyes away from Minako's. "I haven't been able to fall asleep easily and when I do, the nightmares are always waiting for me. They've gotten worse."

Minako looked down at her own hands, which had balled into fits. Her nightmares had been the same. She could almost see it now, the fire and destruction, the blood curdling screams of the dying, the taste of metallic on her tongue. Rei's voice brought her back from the hellish memory.

"I tried everything, but nothing seemed to help. So one night I took my car and drove. Mindless driving. Sometimes it helped. Sometimes…" Rei paused, shrugging a shoulder.

Minako remembered reading the reports on the news; reports of burnt pastures and grassy fields with no lead about the causes.

"You've been burning things," Minako affirmed.

"Yes," Rei admitted with no hesitation. "Sometimes."

"You know we aren't supposed to do that!" She chided, her frustration seeping into her voice.

"What would you rather I do? Drown myself in alcohol like you've been doing? That seems to be working well for you," Rei snapped back, the sarcasm dripping off her words in waves. "For the record, you look just as shitty as I do."

Minako flinched as if Rei had slapped her. She knew she should've punished Rei for her insubordination, but she could hardly be judgmental just now.

"So what? You go killing civilians willy-nilly instead?" Minako regretted the words as soon as they escaped her lips. Rei's eyes flared up and she pushed off of the hood of her car. Minako could feel the air around her turn hotter. Rei looked like she was ready to hit her and Minako knew she wouldn't stop her if she did. She deserved it.

Instead, Rei growled out in frustration and slammed her hands down on the hood of her car. "I didn't—he just looked so much like _him_ that I—I snapped! Something came unhinged. After everything he put me through—that they put us through! The lies, the deceit! The killings of innocent people. The _literal_ stabbings. He tried killing Usagi, Ami, and me! Multiple times!" Rei's anguished voice made Minako want to reach out and comfort her.

"And when I saw that guy step in front of my car, oblivious to the world, I knew he came back. It was him, Minako! I swear, when I looked closely, it was him. I knew if I didn't kill him, he'd kill somebody I loved. So I rammed my car into him, hopping to stun him. When I went to go confront him…it wasn't him, it was this other guy, his body laying in front of my car at an odd angle, as still as could be…but I could've sworn…" Rei's eyes became unfocused, moving rapidly, as if searching for something.

"Am I going crazy?" Rei whispered dejectedly. Minako knew how much Rei hated being touched when she got in a mood, but she'd never been one who cared much about others personal space. Minako moved in and hugged her friend, hating herself for not noticing how much it had affected her friends. She'd been too damn selfish in trying to drown her own sorrows that she forgot that her friends suffered as well.

"You're as sane as I am," Minako half-heartedly joked back. She felt Rei pull away from the hug and let her arms hang limply at her sides.

"Then I am doomed," Rei grumbled back, a tiny smile fluttering across her face but then disappearing as quickly as it had come. "The man—"

"Do you know who he is?" Minako interrupted.

Rei shook her head. "I was afraid my mind would keep playing tricks on me."

Minako nodded her head in understanding. Minako held out her hand and Rei handed her key fob over. She walked over to the trunk and stared at it, thrumming her fingers on her hips. She still hadn't figured out what to do with the civilian. Her headache pierced her mind again and she rubbed her temples distractedly. At this rate she'd find multiple gray hairs sprouting from her hairline.

With a small sigh she pressed the button and a beep rang out, the trunk rising up with an audible click. Minako stared at the man awkwardly stuffed in the trunk. He was much too large for it. His knees had been bent in a weird shape so as to fit into the small space.

Minako saw the resemblance right away; thick, curly, blond hair fell messily around closed eyes—which Minako knew were cerulean— long eyelashes that any girl would be envious of, a perfectly symmetrical face with an angular jaw, and a thin upper lip but a full bottom one, which somehow still held a boyish grin, even in death.

The man had a few abrasions around his face, hands, and knees. Besides his neck being at an abnormal angle, he looked like he'd just fallen asleep. This man most certainly did resemble _him_, but it couldn't be. She had seen _him_ die with her own eyes. Minako hesitantly fished around his pockets, searching for a wallet. She pulled out a phone and handed it to Rei while keeping the wallet for herself.

"I'm sure it's locked, but might as well try."

Minako flipped open the wallet and looked at the man's I.D. Jacob Jackson from some city in California. Minako vaguely wondered what he was doing all the way out here.

"Anything?" She asked Rei, not finding anything else of interest in Jacob's wallet.

"It's locked, like you said. But I can use his finger print to get it," Rei suggested.

"Oh! That's so smart!" Minako grabbed the phone back and lifted Jacob's right hand. She smashed his thumb by the sensor but cursed when it didn't work.

"Here, let me help." Rei guided his thumb and pressed firmly. The locked screen melted away and Minako pulled the phone back to examine it further. She clicked on his contacts and began to scroll. Nothing jumped out at her so she clicked out and started going through his messages. Minako had always been a little nosy.

"What are you doing? I have a dead body in my trunk and you're going through his shit? I need to figure out what to do with this and how I'm going to explain to everyone else that I broke one of the most sacred rules!" Rei huffed at her, exasperated.

"Just a sec—" Minako stopped and narrowed her eyes. She had clicked on a guy's message on a whim. The last thing Jacob had sent to a Keaton was a picture of someone in a car with a text that read _Found one._ Minako clicked on the image and zoomed in. Minako gasped, almost dropping the phone from surprise. Instantly she felt a cold dread spread through her body.

"What? What is it?" Rei had quickly moved by her side, trying to see what had startled her.

"Rei, it's—" Minako's voice faltered as her eyes registered movement. Standing casually against the trunk that he had just been lying in was Jacob, a cold grin on his face.

"Well, well, well, looks like you found me before I had the pleasure."

* * *

Well there is my weird little story. Hopefully you guys enjoyed it. Let me know what you think!


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